Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
INTRODUCTION 
Advances in technology are revolutionizing the way consumers choose and book hotels (O’Connor, 2003).
Research shows that today’s consumers prefer booking hotels online over traditional, offline options and it is 
estimated that in 2005, one in five hotel bookings was made online (www.hotel-online.com, 2005). Associated with 
the lodging industry’s migration to the electronic marketplace is the phenomenon of “word of mouse”- the 
prevalence of online traveler reviews. Many major online travel intermediaries (e.g., Travelocity.com and 
Expedia.com) routinely provide online traveler reviews as part of the available information associated with hotel 
listings.
The emerging phenomenon of “word of mouse” brings with itself several questions. For example, how do 
consumers form the perception of the source credibility when the sources of traveler reviews are essentially 
anonymous? How do consumers evaluate non-diagnostic traveler reviews and incorporate such evaluation in their 
purchase decisions? This study addresses these and related issues by investigating consumers’ sense making process 
of online traveler reviews.