Impact of e-WOM message characteristics on its perceived usefulness in international tourism

N. A. Ponnila Harshavardhini; Savitha Nair; M. Dileep Kumar; Niviya Feston; Normala S Govindarajo

doi:10.53730/ijhs.v6nS2.6960

Authors

N. A. Ponnila Harshavardhini GRG School of Management Studies PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Tamil Nadu, India
Savitha Nair GRG School of Management Studies PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Tamil Nadu, India
Dileep Kumar M. Faculty of Management Sciences, Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja
Niviya Feston School of Commerce and Management, Garden City university, Bangalore
Normala S Govindarajo Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, Malaysia

Keywords:

word of mouth (WOM), eWOM, perceived usefulness, message characteristics, eWOM quantity, eWOM quality, international tourism, social media

Abstract

Word of Mouth (WOM) is one of the most frequently used term in the modern technology driven society. WOM is a means of direct interaction among consumers, influencing consumption-related decisions. With the massive expansion of internet, social-media and mobile phones, traditional WOM has given way to electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM). The significance of eWOM lies in its availability to a wider range of audience, though scattered geographically, connected virtually. Studies show that eWOM can influence travel-related decisions of potential tourists. Also known as user-generated content (UGC), eWOM available through social media and other similar platforms expands the ability of travellers to gather information, choose destinations and tour related services, understand the experiences of previous travellers and make better choices. Literature evidences show that the impact of eWOM on consumer decision making in tourism is greater than that of traditional face-to-face WOM communication. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of eWOM message characteristics (MC) on its perceived usefulness (PU) among the consumers, in the context of international tourism. The data was gathered applying a validated survey questionnaire from 833 respondents in the city of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

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