The purpose of this research was to present a straightforward and achievable online strategy in the form of a structured conceptual framework for hotel accommodation providers and practitioners that was extensive and holistic yet easy to understand and achievable. The basis of this framework was achieved through critical analysis of the literature around the online hotel accommodation process under two main headings (1) online hotel accommodation behaviour and (2) online hotel accommodation thoughts and emotions. Each of these main headings were examined under the influencing factors which were internal to the online process (the individual, search engines, third parties / social media and hotel accommodation websites) and external to the process (online access devices and device visual interaction). The data collected was extracted from the 100 individual in-depth observational interviews, the 3,107,281 individual online searches extracted from the online analytics of 18 different hotels over an 18 month period and the interviews of the managers of these 18 hotels. Analysis of the data reinforced the conceptual framework structure providing a standardised map of online hotel accommodation behavioural, thoughts and emotional process patterns. The analysis also revealed mismatches with current perceived norms. Mismatches noted between the requirements of online consumers and the online experience being presented prevent targeted personalisation and individualisation difficulties such as single individuals using multiple devices, multiple individual using single devices, complex multiple segments within single individuals and individual behavioural differences within a single travelling group. Other areas analysed with complex behavioural mismatches included travel stage behavioural differences and psychological advertisement blindness. The thesis culminates in the presentation of the conceptual framework structured on the internal and external factors, the process factors and the sub factors. All these factors and sub factors are correlated through the structure of the thesis, starting from the literature review going through to the research methodology, the data collection and analysis and ending with the recommendations and conclusions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:681169 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Ward, Manus |
| Publisher | University of Bolton |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://ubir.bolton.ac.uk/828/ |
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