Abstract
The research aims to examine what service convenience factors drive customer satisfaction in travel websites from the perspective of older travelers, and if older travelers’ satisfaction enhances e-loyalty. Additionally, drawing on socioemotional selectivity theory, this study argues that the social presence in travel websites plays a significant moderating role in increasing older travelers’ satisfaction. To empirically verify the conceptual model, an online survey was conducted targeting older travelers aged over 50 in the USA who have purchased products via travel websites. The data from 308 older travelers were analyzed, and the results revealed four dimensions of service convenience positively influence satisfaction. Unexpectedly, access convenience and transaction convenience do not influence older travelers’ satisfaction. The older travelers’ satisfaction with travel websites has a positive impact on e-loyalty. Additionally, social presence amplifies the effect of post-purchase convenience on satisfaction. The current research makes a significant contribution to understanding older travelers’ perceptions and behaviors for using e-commerce service in the field of tourism and provides practitioners with effective ways to attract older travelers for sustainable management of travel websites.
Highlights
In most Western countries, the older generation is growing rapidly [1]
The current study attempted to identify the important dimensions of service convenience enhancing the satisfaction of older travelers, further leading to e-loyalty
The study verified that social presence amplifies which paths from online travel service convenience to older travelers’ online shopping satisfaction
Summary
In most Western countries, the older generation is growing rapidly [1]. In particular, according to data from the United States Census Bureau [2], individuals aged 50 and over accounted for 35.08% of the total United States population in 2017, and this has been continuously growing since 2010 (32.20%), emerging as a major market for the tourism industry. It is necessary to examine service convenience from the older travelers’ perspective to improve older travelers’ technological acceptance and have favorable attitudes towards the Internet [8], contributing to sustainable e-commerce in the travel context. In travelers’ e-commerce, satisfaction has been widely known as the main component to enhance their e-loyalty e.g., [13], travel websites’ service convenience factors maximizing older travelers’ satisfaction has been undiscovered. Scholars have ignored the demands of older travelers for online convenience even though older consumers are becoming a significant market in the travel industry and seniors confront the circumstances of Internet-based services. The purposes of the research are to identify important service convenience factors of travel websites in enhancing satisfaction from the perspective of older travelers, to test the effect of older travelers’ satisfaction on e-loyalty, and to investigate whether social presence strengthens the effect of service convenience on older travelers’ satisfaction
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