User-generated content (UGC) in pleasure travel decision-making

Web 2.0 has enabled people to create their own online information or user-generated content (UGC). This has inevitably impacted on the way that consumers’ research and buy products in the travel and tourism sector. The study... [ view full abstract ]

Web 2.0 has enabled people to create their own online information or user-generated content (UGC). This has inevitably impacted on the way that consumers’ research and buy products in the travel and tourism sector. The study builds on a rapidly developing field of research by exploring how UGC is used in combination with marketer-generated content (MGC) when holiday decisions are made. Case-studies of real-time diaries are combined with the results from an on-line survey to provide qualitative and quantitative insight into what UGC and MGC sources are used at which stages in the decision-making, why the different sources are used together with attitudes towards them. The results identify clear patterns of engagement with UGC from seeking inspiration for holiday ideas to departure. Conclusions include, but are not limited to, the definite shift from recommendations by family and friends (via social media) at the beginning of the process to user reviews when final accommodation choices are made; the use of both UGC and MGC throughout with users flicking between the two; the limited use of, and trust in, travel blogs; the anthropomorphising of UGC and the continuing use of UGC for recreation, reassurance and information after booking but before departure.