ONLINE REVIEWS AND THEIR PERIPHERAL CUES: A CROSS-PLATFORM COMPARISON OF USEFUL REVIEWS ABOUT TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the review structure of the Online Reviews Sites & Online Travel Agencies and examines the differences among the websites in terms of online travel reviews (OTRs) and their peripheral cues. This research also explores review usefulness across these platforms. Methodology: The dataset consisted of 4895 online travel reviews about five tourism products available on four platforms. The analysis was done using SPSS 28.0 through cross-tabulation, Chi-Square, and ANOVA. Findings: The results indicated a considerable difference in the review structure across the four platforms. The users of these websites adopted different approaches while revealing their identities online. However, similarities were found in the case of review type, sidedness, and rating. On all websites, the Utilitarian and Regular reviews were the highest in numbers, and the maximum of tourists gave four and five ratings to tourism products. Moreover, in terms of useful OTRs, the platforms had significant differences. Practical Implications: The results are substantial for the tourism products and service providers (the OTAs) and the review sites. Further, managerial implications are provided to assist the online platform's administrators in making the review sections of websites more user-friendly and effective for potential tourists. The study is concluded along with the future directions of research