Online and Off-line Travel Packages Preferences: A Conjoint Analysis

Past research has suggested that a number of travel package attributes impact on people's choices. In the present study the impacts of a number of these elements (price, package characteristics, travel agents and a seal of approval) in online and off-line environments were examined using conjoint analysis. It was found that price had the biggest impact, although travel agent and airline reputation and trustworthiness also impacted on people's preferences. Interestingly, there were no significant differences in the attributes' impacts in the online and off-line environments. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[1]  Pradeep K. Korgaonkar,et al.  Direct marketing attitudes , 1995 .

[2]  Bart J. Bronnenberg,et al.  Exploring the implications of the internet for consumer marketing , 1997 .

[3]  Keith S. Coulter Decreasing price sensitivity involving physical product inventory: a yield management application , 2001 .

[4]  R. Law,et al.  The relevance of profiling travel activities for improving destination marketing strategies , 2004 .

[5]  Eric K. Clemons,et al.  Price Dispersion and Differentiation in Online Travel: An Empirical Investigation , 2002, Manag. Sci..

[6]  P. Green,et al.  Thirty Years of Conjoint Analysis: Reflections and Prospects , 2001 .

[7]  Mark A. Bonn,et al.  Using the Internet as a Pleasure Travel Planning Tool: an Examination of the Sociodemographic and Behavioral Characteristics Among Internet Users and Nonusers , 1998 .

[8]  B. Ratchford,et al.  Can price dispersion in online markets be explained by differences in e-tailer service quality? , 2002 .

[9]  Urs E. Gattiker,et al.  Using the Internet for B2B activities: a review and future directions for research , 2000, Internet Res..

[10]  F. Sultan,et al.  Placing Trust at the Center of Your Internet Strategy , 2000 .

[11]  D. Snepenger,et al.  Information Search Strategies B y Destination-Naive Tourists , 1990 .

[12]  Merja Mankila,et al.  Retaining students in retail banking through price bundling: Evidence from the Swedish market , 2004, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[13]  William C. Gartner,et al.  Tour operators' role in the tourism distribution system: an Indonesian case study. , 1994 .

[14]  David Gefen,et al.  Managing User Trust in B2C e-Services , 2003 .

[15]  Thompson S. H. Teo Attitudes toward online shopping and the Internet , 2002, Behav. Inf. Technol..

[16]  D. Gursoy,et al.  Competitive analysis of cross cultural information search behavior , 2000 .

[17]  John G. Lynch,et al.  Interactive Home Shopping: Consumer, Retailer, and Manufacturer Incentives to Participate in Electronic Marketplaces , 1997 .

[18]  Arno Scharl,et al.  Quantitive evaluation of Web site content and structure , 2000, Internet Res..

[19]  Pirkko Walden,et al.  Destination Maui? An Exploratory Assessment of the Efficacy of Self-Booking in Travel , 2000, Electron. Mark..

[20]  J. Hobbs A transaction cost analysis of quality, traceability and animal welfare issues in UK beef retailing , 1996 .

[21]  M. Holbrook,et al.  The Chain of Effects from Brand Trust and Brand Affect to Brand Performance: The Role of Brand Loyalty , 2001 .

[22]  James T. Bennett,et al.  Public Policy Issues in the Marketing of Seals of Approval for Food , 1993 .

[23]  J. Semeijn,et al.  THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON TRAVEL AGENTS , 1998 .

[24]  Sijun Wang,et al.  Signaling the trustworthiness of small online retailers , 2004 .

[25]  Zafar U. Ahmed,et al.  Consumer preferences for commercial Web site design: an Asia‐Pacific perspective , 2003 .

[26]  G. Naylor,et al.  The effect of price bundling on consumer perceptions of value , 2001 .

[27]  V. C. S. Heung,et al.  Internet usage by international travellers: reasons and barriers , 2003 .

[28]  A. Rao,et al.  The Effect of Price, Brand Name, and Store Name on Buyers’ Perceptions of Product Quality: An Integrative Review , 1989 .

[29]  Michael D. Smith The impact of shopbots on electronic markets , 2002 .

[30]  George R. Milne,et al.  Trust and Concern in Consumers’ Perceptions of Marketing Information Management Practices , 1999 .

[31]  Joseph P. Cannon,et al.  An Examination of the Nature of Trust in Buyer–Seller Relationships: , 1997 .

[32]  Zhong-lai Zhang Organizing customers: Japanese travel agencies marketing on the Internet , 2004 .

[33]  T. L. Parkinson The Role of Seals and Certifications of Approval in Consumer Decision‐Making. , 1975 .

[34]  Modern marketing research techniques and the property professional , 1995 .

[35]  Anthony D. Miyazaki,et al.  Consumer Perceptions of Privacy and Security Risks for Online Shopping , 2001 .

[36]  Dimitrios Buhalis,et al.  Relationships in the Distribution Channel of Tourism , 2000 .

[37]  C. Smith,et al.  Tourism and the Internet. , 1998 .

[38]  J. Crotts,et al.  The effect of uncertainty avoidance on information search, planning, and purchases of international travel vacations , 2003 .

[39]  Peter J. Strub,et al.  Two Patterns of Establishing Trust: The Marijuana User , 1976 .

[40]  B. Murray,et al.  A Model of Tourist Information Search Behavior , 1999 .

[41]  Miyoung Jeong,et al.  Conceptualizing Web site quality and its consequences in the lodging industry , 2003 .

[42]  Michael Tow Cheung,et al.  Internet-based e-banking and consumer attitudes: an empirical study , 2002, Inf. Manag..

[43]  G. Zaltman,et al.  Relationships between Providers and Users of Market Research: The Dynamics of Trust within and between Organizations , 1992 .

[44]  A. Rao,et al.  No Pain, No Gain: A Critical Review of the Literature on Signaling Unobservable Product Quality , 2000 .

[45]  Alan J. Dubinsky,et al.  A conceptual model of perceived customer value in e-commerce: A preliminary investigation , 2003 .

[46]  Kevin K. F. Wong,et al.  An analysis of the competitive strategies of hotels and travel agents in Hong Kong and Singapore , 2001 .

[47]  A. Athiyaman Internet users’ intention to purchase air travel online: an empirical investigation , 2002 .

[48]  F. Reichheld,et al.  E-LOYALTY: YOUR SECRET WEAPON ON THE WEB , 2003 .

[49]  D. Gefen,et al.  E-commerce: the role of familiarity and trust , 2000 .