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Examining Perceptions of the Importance of Travel Websites’ Value-Added Services: Age, Gender, and Travel Motivations

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Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2013

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Abstract

Travel motivations have been regarded as essential in understanding customer behaviour in travel and tourism. As the importance of Internet has grown in tourism marketing, it is important to understand customers’ online behaviour. This study aims to examine the little researched field in connecting travel motivations to online behaviour. Quantitative data is collected on three Finnish rural tourism websites during summer 2011. In the examination of tourists’ perceptions of the importance of value-added services on travel websites it is found that age, gender, and travel motivations have an effect on which value-added services people regard as important. Theoretical and managerial contributions of the study are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Council of South Savo/the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operational Programme for Eastern Finland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Tourism Studies, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

    Juho Pesonen

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  1. Juho Pesonen
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Correspondence to Juho Pesonen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Faculty of Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, Lugano, 6904, Switzerland

    Lorenzo Cantoni

  2. , College of Merchandising,, University of North Texas, Union Circle 1155, Denton, 76203-1100, Texas, USA

    Zheng (Phil) Xiang

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Pesonen, J. (2013). Examining Perceptions of the Importance of Travel Websites’ Value-Added Services: Age, Gender, and Travel Motivations. In: Cantoni, L., Xiang, Z. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2013. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36309-2_30

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