Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2003

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management

Major Professor

Carl J. Pfaffenberg, Ph.D

Committee Members

Carol Costello, Ph.D, Ann Fairhurst, Ph.D.

Abstract

Internet reservations are a growing portion of the distribution channels in the hotel industry. With this growing area of marketing and sales of hotel rooms comes a need for clarification of the needs of both the hotel and the consumer. This study examines consumer preferences and opinions about the features and functions available on hotel websites with respect to the type of website used by the consumer. Two researcher developed survey instruments were used in this study. The first survey process identified and refined the features and functions to be examined through a series of interviews with users of online travel products. The second survey instrument elicited information from consumers of hotel website products and services. This instrument was posted to the World Wide Web and responses were solicited via e-mail in an attempt to garner responses from individuals familiar with the internet. The focus of the research was to find out if users of five distinctly identified types of websites showed any associations with or differences among their opinions and preferences and the type of website they primarily used. With few exceptions, the consumers showed no association with or differences among their opinions and preferences with respect to the type of website they primarily use. The exceptions, though few, primarily related to a function of either the technology as it related to the type of website or the business model of the site type. This finding provides early guidelines for developing successful websites.

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