Exploration of Hotel Reservation Through Mobile Online Travel Agencies

Abstract

The number of tourists who use smartphones to make hotel reservation is continuously increasing. Nonetheless, only a few studies have investigated the attributes to make hotel reservation via mobile devices (e.g., smartphones). Hence, the present study comprehensively evaluates the attributes to make hotel reservation through mobile online travel agencies (OTAs) based on the web function design framework to identify the perceived important attributes to make hotel reservation via mobile OTAs from the perspective of tourists and to find out the possible factors with specific attributes to measure hotel reservation via mobile OTAs through an online questionnaire survey method. Findings reflect that the perceived important attributes of tourists have changed from those allowing them to meet their hierarchical needs to those supporting their nonhierarchical intertwined needs. In addition, four factors of hotel reservation via mobile OTAs are identified: hotel information provision, relationship and social media, design and layout, and consumer requests.