The Utility of Blockchain Technology in the Electronic Commerce of Tourism Services: An Exploratory Study on Romanian Consumers

Tița Raluca-Florentina

doi:10.3390/su14020943

Abstract

Blockchain technology is considered one of the most revolutionary innovations that has much to offer the tourism industry, having a positive impact among consumers with the help of interactive applications but also easy to use. Tourist services must constantly evolve in a society where the consumer has everything a click away and his requirements are demanding when it comes to quality leisure. Blockchain technology has the power to change the course of the travel experience, offering the customer more autonomy, but the applications developed by the providers can offer transparency and trust to the customers from the moment T0, when the desire to go on a trip is born, until the end at which it should provide feedback. So far, digital and tourism specialists have not agreed on the development of blockchain-based applications, although the benefits are great for both consumers and tourism service providers, as in this publication we can see a series of advantages that blockchain technology can offer the tourism field. This paper also investigates the satisfaction that the Romanian consumer has after purchasing tourist services through e-commerce applications, a satisfaction that can be an additional motivation for specialists to implement blockchain technology. Following the research in this paper, it can be seen how important it is to develop a series of easy-to-use applications, because if the consumer does not manage to use the applications, this affects the degree of satisfaction and the intention to continue using the online applications for the purchase of tourism services.

Highlights

Blockchain, a technology that is still in its infancy, involves new organizational practices [1], according to the technology behind the Internet [2]
The accession of the tourism industry to blockchain technology involves the development of digital, transversal, and practical skills of consumers, in other words, consumer education [4]
The paper is targeting the consumer’s loyalty to e-commerce applications for the acquisition of tourism services, and its intention to continue the acquisition of tourism services through e-commerce applications [9]

Summary

Introduction

Blockchain, a technology that is still in its infancy, involves new organizational practices [1], according to the technology behind the Internet [2]. Blockchain technology is a revolutionary protocol [3] with huge potential that can influence important industries such as tourism. The accession of the tourism industry to blockchain technology involves the development of digital, transversal, and practical skills of consumers, in other words, consumer education [4]. Blockchain technology is already revolutionizing the way people travel. Blockchain is of great interest in the tourism industry [6]. The introduction of the blockchain technology model could create benefits for consumers, allowing them to have more control and power over how they consume their travel experience [7], so that it will allow tourists to have control over their own journey

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion