Web quality index (WQI) for official tourist destination websites: proposal for an assessment system

Abstract Tourism is a vital economic activity in many countries. Cities, regions, countries and destinations of all categories vie for securing tourists and to do so they employ communication and promotion channels such as official websites. Despite the importance of these websites, no comprehensive method of assessment exists to enable communications managers and directors to find out whether their destination's website is effective and where it ranks in comparison to its competitors. This paper presents a hitherto unseen assessment system aimed at meeting this need. Using a host of indicators, grouped into twelve parameters, a Web Quality Index (WQI) has been specifically established for tourist destination websites which, as well as determining an overall index, makes it possible to draw comparison between parameters or spheres of analysis. The assessment system is illustrated using the result of a pilot sample of official websites from ten destinations to confirm the validity and potential of the model put forward.

[1]  Ernest Abadal.  Elementos para la evaluación de "interfaces" de consulta de bases de datos web , 2002 .

[2]  Pablo Díaz-Luque.  Official Tourism Web Sites and City Marketing , 2009 .

[3]  José Fernández-Cavia,et al.  City Brands and their Communication through Web Sites: Identification of Problems and Proposals for Improvement , 2009 .

[4]  U. Gretzel,et al.  Searching for the Future: Challenges Faced by Destination Marketing Organizations , 2006 .

[5]  Ernest Abadal,et al.  Evaluación de hemerotecas de prensa digital: indicadores y ejemplos de buenas prácticas , 2008 .

[6]  Lluís Codina,et al.  Indicadores para la evaluación de la calidad en cibermedios: análisis de la interacción y de la adopción de la Web 2.0 , 2012 .

[7]  Wendy Macias,et al.  A Preliminary Structural Equation Model of Comprehension and Persuasion of Interactive Advertising Brand Web Sites , 2003 .

[8]  Lluís Codina,et al.  Evaluación de recursos digitales en línea: conceptos, indicadores y métodos , 2000 .

[9]  María Sicilia,et al.  EFFECTS OF INTERACTIVITY IN A WEB SITE: The Moderating Effect of Need for Cognition , 2005 .

[10]  Josep Vives i Gràcia.  Aspectos de propiedad intelectual en la creación y gestión de repositorios institucionales , 2005 .

[11]  Alastair M. Morrison,et al.  Website Evaluation in Tourism and Hospitality , 2004 .

[12]  Joseph T. O'Leary,et al.  What does the consumer want from a DMO website? A study of US and Canadian tourists' perspectives. , 2007 .

[13]  Young A. Park,et al.  Success Factors for Destination Marketing Web Sites: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis , 2007 .

[14]  D. Fesenmaier,et al.  Persuasive Design of Destination Web Sites: An Analysis of First Impression , 2008 .

[15]  Stuart Levy,et al.  Destination Branding: Insights and Practices from Destination Management Organizations , 2005 .

[16]  U. Gretzel,et al.  Role of social media in online travel information search , 2010 .

[17]  Dimitrios Buhalis,et al.  Progress in tourism management : a review of website evaluation in tourism research , 2010 .

[18]  C. Guitián,et al.  Portales sanitarios para la atención primaria , 2001 .

[19]  Soyoung Boo,et al.  Factors Influencing the Usability of Mobile Destination Management Organization Websites , 2013 .

[20]  Alastair M. Morrison,et al.  Destination image representation on the web : Content analysis of Macau travel related websites , 2007 .

[22]  U. Gretzel,et al.  Designing persuasive destination websites: A mental imagery processing perspective , 2012 .

[23]  Michael R. Hyman,et al.  Common Practices in Destination Website Design , 2012 .

[24]  Dimitrios Buhalis.  Marketing the competitive destination of the future. , 2000 .

[25]  R. Law,et al.  Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet - the state of eTourism research. , 2008 .

[26]  Josep Manuel Rodríguez Gairín.  Paràmetres i indicadors de qualitat en l’avaluació d’una revista electrònica. El cas de BiD: textos universitaris de biblioteconomia i documentació = Parámetros e indicadores de calidad en la evaluación de una revista electrónica. El caso de... , 2001 .

[27]  Mari Carmen Marcos,et al.  Repositorios de publicaciones digitales de libre acceso en Europa: análisis y valoración de la accesibilidad, posicionamiento web y calidad del código , 2007 .

[28]  Youcheng Wang,et al.  Evaluating the Effectiveness of Destination Marketing Organisations' Websites: Evidence from China , 2010 .

[29]  Sílvia Sastre-Suárez,et al.  Evaluación de metabuscadores gratuitos especializados en ciencias de la salud , 2011 .

[30]  Ernest Abadal,et al.  Acceso a los recursos web gratuitos desde las bibliotecas , 2000 .

[31]  Isidro F. Aguillo Caño.  Problemas técnicos, metodológicos y documentales en la elaboración de Rankings basados en indicadores Web , 2009 .

[32]  Kristian Anders Hvass,et al.  The takeoff of social media in tourism , 2012 .

[33]  M. A. Corigliano,et al.  Tourist destination brand equity and internal stakeholders , 2012 .

[34]  Alastair M. Morrison,et al.  The Effect of Prior Destination Experience on Online Information Search Behaviour , 2006 .

[35]  Gilbert Archdale.  Computer reservation systems and public tourist offices , 1993 .

[36]  Rob Law,et al.  Extending the modified heuristic usability evaluation technique to chain and independent hotel websites , 2004 .

[37]  A. Huertas,et al.  Posicionamiento en buscadores de las webs oficiales de capitales de provincia españolas , 2010 .

[38]  M. Sigala.  WEB 2.0, Social Marketing Strategies and Distribution Channels for City Destinations: Enhancing the Participatory Role of Travelers and Exploiting their Collective Intelligence , 2010 .