Technology Adoption and the Accountability Factor: A Case for the Re-Intermediation of Travel Agencies in Small Island Developing States

Abstract

This paper highlights the importance of trust and accountability to Caribbean consumers of online travel products. It reveals a critical element, which has been largely ignored in the literature related to travel consumer online purchasing decisions. Previous research on factors that influence consumer decisions about online travel purchase tended to focus on so called universal factors such as speed, convenience and cost, to name a few, while those that promote more traditional offline purchasing surround expertise, social interaction, privacy and security. While these cannot be overlooked, this work highlights that an important factor in the decision making process is the ability to hold persons accountable and depend on organizations to see their booking through to a successful end. This is particularly heightened if and when errors in bookings are made. A mixed-methods approach was used in this paper. The process began with 31 in-depth interviews with the Chief Executive Officers of all owner-managed travel agencies in Jamaica. Given that the Caribbean countries bear some similarities, a cross-national survey totaling 302 individuals was conducted between Jamaican and the Bahamas over a three (3) week period. The findings not only reveal that accountability is important to consumers in relationship-oriented societies such as Jamaica and the Bahamas, but that this concept must be explored for other countries and contexts, particularly for those interested in maintaining the buoyancy of travel agencies in a technologically advanced world.