Assessing the effects of user-generated photos on hotel guests’ price, service quality, overall image perceptions and booking intention

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of user-generated photos (UGPs) and review valence (RV) on hotel guests’ perceived service quality, perceived price, perceived overall image and booking intention.

Design/methodology/approach

An online experiment where respondents were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions in a 2 (UGPs: provided vs not provided) × 3 (RV: positive vs neutral vs negative) between-subjects factorial design was used. The data of the study was collected from the travelers who used an online hotel review site to book a hotel at least once in the past 12 months. An independent sample t-test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data of this study.

Findings

The results indicated that UGPs and RV significantly influenced hotel guests’ service quality, price, overall image perceptions and booking intention. The interaction effects of UGPs and RV indicated that positive online hotel reviews with UGPs had higher impact on hotel guests’ service quality, price, overall image perceptions and booking intention than neutral and negative online hotel reviews with UGPs.

Practical implications

The understanding of the effects of UGPs and RV on guests’ price, service quality, overall image perception and booking intention can help hotel managers and social media website designers to better promote the hotel and provide efficient online hotel booking environment.

Originality/value

This study builds the relationships between UGPs and RV and hotel guests’ perceived price, perceived service quality, perceived overall image and booking intention, which are crucial factors regarding online hotel marketing.

评估用户生成的照片对酒店客人价格、服务质量、整体形象感知和预订意愿的影响

研究目的

本研究旨在探索用户生成的照片 (UGP) 和评论效价 (RV) 对酒店客人感知服务质量、感知价格、感知整体形象和预订意图的影响。

研究设计/方法/途径

本研究采用受试者间因子设计进行了一项在线实验, 其中受访者被随机分配到 2（UGP：提供与未提供）× 3（RV：阳性 vs. 中性 vs. 阴性）中的六个条件之一。该研究的数据是从过去 12 个月内使用在线酒店评论网站至少预订一次酒店的旅行者那里收集的。使用独立样本 t 检验和方差分析 (ANOVA) 来分析研究数据。

研究结果

结果表明, UGP 和 RV 显着影响酒店客人的服务质量、价格、整体形象认知和预订意愿。 UGP 和 RV 的交互作用表明, 与 UGP 的中性和负面在线酒店评论相比, 带有 UGP 的正面在线酒店评论对酒店客人的服务质量、价格、整体形象感知和预订意愿的影响更大。

研究实践意义

了解UGPs和RV对客人价格、服 务质量、整体形象感知和预订意愿的影响, 可以帮助酒店管理者和社交媒体网站设计师更好地宣传酒店, 提供高效的在线酒店预订环境。

研究原创性/价值

本研究建立了UGP和RV与酒店客人感知价格、感知服务质量、感知整体形象和预订意愿之间的关系, 这些是在线酒店营销的关键因素。

Citation

An, Q. and Ozturk, A.B. (2022), "Assessing the effects of user-generated photos on hotel guests’ price, service quality, overall image perceptions and booking intention", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 608-625. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-05-2021-0146