Experimental analysis of the effect of electronic word-of-mouth on hotel booking intentions

Abstract

The evaluations of products and services shared by users on digital platforms generate electronic word-of-mouth (ewom). This information reduces the risk associated with consumption, particularly for experiential goods that include difficult-to-evaluate attributes. This research examines the effect of ewom on hotel booking intentions, analyzing both the valence (positive or negative opinions) and type (textual or numerical ratings) of reviews. An experiment was conducted with 280 users of online lodging booking platforms. Data was analyzed using a two-factor anova. The results indicate that both the valence of ewom (positive or negative) and the type of review (qualitative or quantitative) significantly affect booking intentions. Generally, positive ewom increases booking intentions, while a negative one decreases them. Regarding review type, qualitative reviews have a greater impact on increasing booking intentions compared to quantitative reviews. The primary contribution of this study is the generation of conclusive empirical evidence regarding a phenomenon with multiple effects and no clear general trend, particularly within a less studied context and a key sector for the Latin American economy.