Factors Influencing Purchase Intention for Online Travel Products - Case Study of Taiwanese Consumers

The   Internet   has   dramatically   changed   how   people   communicate,   search  for  information,  make  decisions  and  purchase  goods/services.  Travel product has distinguishing features which make them particularly receptive   to   the   Internet   benefits.   Although   the   Internet   provides   benefits  for  information  searching  and  product  purchasing,  there  are  perceived  barriers  that  customers  may  encounter  while  using  the  Internet for travel purchase, which, to some extent, impeded the growth of online travel sales. Several  factors  influence  purchase  intention  for  online  travel  products,  e.g. social factors which contextualize online purchase. Trust influences consumer  behaviour  and  is  significant  in  e-commerce.  This  thesis  develops  a  framework  for  investigating  factors  influencing  Taiwanese  consumers’  purchase  intention  for  online  travel  products  emphasizing  the  role  of  trust  and  providing  a  holistic  view  of  online  consumer  purchase  decision-making  processes  incorporating  trust,  culture  and  various supply/demand side factors and their influence on online travel purchase intention. A case study investigates Taiwanese consumers’ online travel purchase behaviour.  Multi-methods  enable  triangulation:  in-depth  interviews  and  participant   observation   explore   consumers’   online   travel   purchase   experience   and   perceptions   of   travel   websites;   questionnaire   and   projective  technique  interviews  investigate  attitudes  and  perceptions  identified in the questionnaire survey and their effect on travel purchase intention. The  findings  suggest  trust  significantly  impacts  online  travel  purchase  intention.  Trust  cab  be  built  by  supply-side  factors:  vendor’s  reputation  and  website  design.  If  consumers  feel  online  travel  companies  care  about mutual benefits, trust is more likely to be forged. Cultural factors impact on consumer purchase intention. Consumers often visit and feel more  comfortable  purchasing  from  websites  recommended  by  family  and friends. This  research  helps  understand  trust  by  explaining  factors  promoting  trust  in  online  travel  purchase  contexts.  Since  perceptions  of  travel  website  information  quality,  vendor’s  reputation,  and  recommendations  from  family  and  friends  strongly  predict  trust,  Taiwanese  online  travel  companies should focus on them to increase trust and ultimately online transaction volume.