Which Presentation Format of Hotel Online Reviews Appears to be More Trustworthy for Generation Z Travellers? An Analysis of Trusting Attitudes and Behavioural Intentions in Sri Lanka Context

Abstract

Research on trust in Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) is in its infancy. The issues of fake online reviews and promotional online reviews in the tourism and hospitality businesses stressed the significance of the credibility of online consumer reviews, as the decisions of Generation Z travellers are significantly influenced by reviews from different social media channels. The study aims to determine how Generation travellers in Sri Lanka perceive trustworthiness on the negative hotel online reviews presented in five different formats including text, image, video, text + image, and text + video.Following a positivist research design, a well scanned secondary dataset of 286 valid responses was used to examine the relationship between presentation formats of genuine consumer reviews and perceived trustworthiness measured by trusting attitudes and behavioural intentions.Drawing from source credibility theory and dual coding theory, we discovered that hotel online reviews in combined presentation formats (text + image and text + video) appear to be more trustworthy than that in single presentation formats (text, image, and video) and will also have a greater impact on consumer decision making. Tangible (physical facilities and environment) and intangible (client-staff relationship) aspects highlighted in hotel online reviews also influence consumer behavioural intentions, where consumers' behavioural intentions tend to be the strongest when these tangible features are presented in combined formats.This study contributed both conceptually and practically to the field of hospitality marketing, as well as generating inter-disciplinary knowledge in this areaResearch on trust in Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) is in its infancy. The issues of fake online reviews and promotional online reviews in the tourism and hospitality businesses stressed the significance of the credibility of online consumer reviews, as the decisions of Generation Z travellers are significantly influenced by reviews from different social media channels. The study aims to determine how Generation travellers in Sri Lanka perceive trustworthiness on the negative hotel online reviews presented in five different formats including text, image, video, text + image, and text + video.Following a positivist research design, a well scanned secondary dataset of 286 valid responses was used to examine the relationship between presentation formats of genuine consumer reviews and perceived trustworthiness measured by trusting attitudes and behavioural intentions.Drawing from source credibility theory and dual coding theory, we discovered that hotel online reviews in combined presentation formats (text + image and text + video) appear to be more trustworthy than that in single presentation formats (text, image, and video) and will also have a greater impact on consumer decision making. Tangible (physical facilities and environment) and intangible (client-staff relationship) aspects highlighted in hotel online reviews also influence consumer behavioural intentions, where consumers' behavioural intentions tend to be the strongest when these tangible features are presented in combined formats.This study contributed both conceptually and practically to the field of hospitality marketing, as well as generating inter-disciplinary knowledge in this area