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Abstract
Travel Question and Answer (Q&A) platforms are widely used by travelers to exchange information online. This paper examined one such platform, Ctrip Q&A, to better understand the features of high-quality answers. The questions were first categorized into four types of information required by tourists (knowledge, efficiency, risk, and hedonic types) and then subdivided into more concrete elements, such as accommodation, food, and climate. The characteristics of high-quality answers on the platform were identified and a regression analysis was conducted to determine their importance. The study found that negative emotional expressions negatively impacted the quality of answers while the usefulness, richness, and amount of information had a positive effect. The usefulness of the answer content and quantity of information consistently predicted high-quality answers, whereas richness and conciseness were inconsistently related. Finally, the characteristics of high-quality answers to questions about different elements of tourism in the same category of tourist information varied significantly. This study may help travelers select and provide high-quality answers on tourism Q&A platforms. It may also assist platform operators in optimizing the features of their platforms, thereby improving user satisfaction and overall quality.
Highlights
As China’s economy develops, people’s living standards are increasing, reflected in both the growing demand for and consumption of tourist services
The results showed that the number of questions answered by the answerer, the richness of the answer content, and the amount of information were all positively correlated with answer quality
Based on the tourism information needs of the question as the dividing standard, the characteristics of high-quality answers under different questions regarding tourism information needs were analyzed, and it was found that high-quality answers to questions that fall under different categories of tourism information needs are consistent in many characteristics, such as the usefulness of the answers, the amount of information, and the number of questions answered by the answerer
Summary
As China’s economy develops, people’s living standards are increasing, reflected in both the growing demand for and consumption of tourist services. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the number of tourists from mainland China reached 6.01 billion in 2019, an increase of 8.4%, year on year. Mainland China’s tourism revenue rose by 11.7% from the previous year to RMB 57.251 billion in 2019 [1]. People’s demand for and use of the internet has increased due to the convenience and improvements it offers their daily lives. Theories of expectation confirmation, attribution theory, and social capital indicate that users will be motivated by various internal and external motivations to contribute content to various social media—including Q&A platforms [2,3,4,5]. Travelers increasingly seek information and help from various user-generated content (UGC)
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