The effect of perceived usefulness of online reviews on hotel booking intentions

Abstract The growth of the Internet has enabled consumer-to-consumer interactions through online platforms where users share content and influence the purchase decisions of other consumers. The objective of this research is to identify the effect of perceived usefulness of online reviews on hotel booking intentions. The approach is quantitative, using a questionnaire to collect data from consumers who use online reviews before booking a hotel. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed the direct influence of perceived information usefulness on purchase intention, and the antecedent constructs— needs of information, information credibility, and information quality—had a positive and significant impact on perceived usefulness of online reviews. Comparing these results with research by Erkan and Evans (2016) conducted with UK consumers that use social media to decide about their purchases, in this study information credibility was more relevant than information quality, suggesting a more skeptical behavior of Brazilian consumers. These findings have implications for practitioners that manage the digital marketing of organizations inserted in this environment, mainly regarding the impact of credibility and quality of online reviews on hotel booking intentions, being this a practical contribution of the research.