A Content Analysis on the Websites of Turkish Hotels
O. Cenk DEMIROGLU, Bora IMER, Ozlem DEMIRKIR, Cengiz KURELI, Levent YILDIRIM
Senior Research Paper for TRM492 Tourism Research Topics, May 2003
Bogazici University School of Applied Disciplines - Tourism Administration Department
1. RESEARCH STATEMENT
2. LITERATURE SURVEY
3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
4. METHODOLOGY
5. SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF MAIN FINDINGS
6. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
7. LIMITATIONS AND WEAKNESSES
8. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
REFERENCES
APPENDICES (RELIABILITY TEST, POPULATION FRAME, SPSS OUTPUTS)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
More and more people are discovering the benefits of the Internet each day. Among those benefits, e-business opportunities are gaining increasing attention of the professionals of all industries. In the case of the tourism industry, many of the hospitality establishments worldwide have already published their websites to serve the rising number of consumers who use the Internet as a means to plan and/or purchase their trips. Owing to this situation, the contents of the touristic websites have become vital for tourism marketing.
This study aims to explore the contents of 3, 4 and 5 star Turkish hotels’ websites. For this purpose, a reliable checklist composed of eight categories (Hotel Profile, Destination, Image Gallery, Multimedia Usage, Customer Communications, On-line Services, Visitor Support, Website Policies) was designed to check the availability of the contents that are essential for the survival and success of a website. A census was taken in order to measure each element in the population frame. On the basis of this census, a total of 125 websites were included in the study.
The data gathered, through the use of the checklist, was analysed by statistics such as frequencies, cross tabs and Chi-square tests. Among the main findings; scarce information on destination, and lack of online services and website policies were commonly observed. It is not surprising to see little importance given to hotels’ destinations, since the issue of destination management does not receive much emphasis in Turkey. Also, due to little attention given to privacy and security protection of the users, and the absence of online purchasing availability, Turkish hotels miss the opportunity to increase their revenues through the sales via their websites, while their rivals in the Mediterannean Basin and the international brands enjoy the benefits of online transactions.
Due to the fact that this study is limited to the websites of 3, 4, and 5 star Turkish hotels, further studies, on the website contents of other tourism establishments and their comparison with worldwide counterparts, are suggested to reach a more comprehensive coverage of the issue.
This study aims to figure out the e-business commitment levels of 3, 4 and 5 star Turkish hotels. While exploring the contents of the aforementioned hotels’ Web sites, the study also seeks to find out possible relationships between the Web site contents and star rating of the hotels.
2. LITERATURE SURVEY
Information Technology (IT) is defined as applied computer systems - both hardware and software, and often including networking and telecommunications, usually in the context of a business or other enterprise. Often, it is the name of the part of an enterprise that deals with all things electronic (http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk).
Buhalis (1998) cites that developments in ITs revolutionize both economies and enterprises. ITs are defined as the collective term given to the most recent developments in the mode and the mechanism used for the acquisition, processing, analysis, storage, retrieval, dissemination and application of information. At the macroeconomic level, ITs have become instrumental in the development and prosperity of regions, as they determine their competitiveness in the global marketplace. At the microeconomic level, ITs permeate all functions of strategic and operational management and affect the competitiveness of enterprises.
According to Buhalis (1998), the fusion of ITs provides unprecedented tools, which facilitate the creation of new industries, restructure existing industries and radically change the way firms and regions compete. ITs reshape the nature of competition in most economic activities, whilst they link consumers and suppliers, adding value to organization’s products. In particular, technology affects competitive advantage as it determines the relative cost position or differentiation of organizations. A firm can achieve several strategic benefits by using ITs, namely: establishing entry barriers; affecting switching costs; differentiating products/services; limiting access to distribution channels; ensuring competitive pricing; decreasing supply costs and easing supply; increasing cost efficiency; using information as a product itself; and building closer relationships with suppliers and customers.
ITs offer new management and business opportunities and can be applied strategically in at least four different ways: gain a competitive advantage; improve productivity and performance; facilitate new ways of managing and organizing; and develop new businesses. Ultimately, firms investing in ITs attempt to gain a competitive advantage by lowering their cost or by improving customers’ perception of the quality of their products and services, and hence differentiating their offering (Buhalis, 1998).
Buhalis (1998) argues that despite the potential benefits, ITs do not guarantee profitability and they may even worsen the competitive position of firms and the attractiveness of an industry.
As information is the lifeblood of the travel industry, effective use of ITs is pivotal. Hence, a whole system of ITs is being rapidly diffused throughout the tourism industry and no player will escape its impacts. Unlike durable goods, intangible tourism services cannot be physically displayed or inspected at the point of sale before purchasing. Timely and accurate information, relevant to consumers’needs is often the key to satisfaction of tourist demand. Therefore, ITs provide the information backbone that facilitates tourism (Buhalis, 1998).
Buhalis (1998) suggests that the re-engineering of these processes generates a paradigm-shift altering the structure of the entire industry. Thus, ITs have a dramatic impact on the travel industry, because they force their sector to rethink the way in which it organizes its business, its value or norms of behavior and the way in which it educates its workforce.
Buhalis (1998) report that WTO argues that the key to success lies in the quick identification of consumer needs and in the reaching potential clients with comprehensive, personalized and up-to-date information. The rapid growth of both the volume and the quality requirements of contemporary travellers, require powerful ITs for the administration of the expanding traffic. Tourists become sophisticated and more demanding, requesting high quality products and value for their money.
In order to satisfy tourism demand and survive in the long term there is no choice but to incorporate technology and exchange the interactivity with the marketplace. ITs improve the service quality and contribute to higher guest/traveller satisfaction. ITs facilitated factors enhance consumer satisfaction, namely: consumers have more information and enjoy a greater choice; a reduction of bureaucracy and paperwork effectively frees time for consumer service; customizing the product and establishing one to one marketing by using intelligence collected by loyalty schemes; providing new services; facilitating operational tasks; personalized services; and finally better integration of departments and functions of organizations towars better service (Buhalis, 1998).
Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs), Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) and increasingly internet providers, satisfy the needs of consumers for convenient access to transparent and easy to compare information. These services also provide immediate confirmation and speedy documentation of reservations, allowing a greater degree of flexibility and enabling prospective travelers to book at the last minute. Experienced travellers are therefore empowered by information and booking systems and increase their personal efficiency by creating tailor-made products independently. ITs also assist principals to understand consumer needs through market research and loyalty schemes (Buhalis, 1998).
It was argued that (Buhalis, 1998) the revolutionary developments in ITs, which have been experienced through the proliferation of the Internet and the World Wide Web since 1995, illustrate that consumers increasingly rely on the Internet for travel information. They utilize commercial and non-commercial Internet sites for planning, searching, purchasing and amending their travel.
2.1.4 The Re-engineering of the Tourism Production and Distribution
ITs can also boost staff morale, managerial effectiveness, productivity and ultimately profitability of tourism organizations, provided that managerial attitude is adapted to the new business environment and takes advantage of the emergent opportunities. ITs not only facilitate distribution, but they also enable differentiation and cost advantage, as well as empower interactive communication between principals and target markets. This is accomplished by re-engineering the entire processes of producing and delivering products, in order to optimize efficiency and productivity, and to maximize the value-added provided to consumers. Three main waves of technological developments established ITs in tourism enterprises, namely Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs) in the 1970s; Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) in the 1980s and the Internet in the 1990s (Buhalis, 1998).
2.1.4.1 Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs)
Buhalis (1998) noted that computerized networks and electronic distribution in tourism emerged in the early 1970s, through internal CRSs. They become central to the distribution mix and strategy of airlines. CRSs are widely regarded as the critical initiators of the electronic age, as they formulated a new travel marketing and distribution system. A CRS is essentially a database that manages the inventory of a tourism enterprise, whilst it distributes it electronically to remote sales offices and external partners. Intermediaries and consumers can access the inventory and they can make and confirm reservations. CRSs enable principals to control, promote and sell their products globally, while facilitating their yield management. In addition, they integrate the entire range of business functions, and thus can contribute to principals’ profitability and long-term prosperity.
2.1.4.2 Global Distribution Systems (GDSs)
Since the mid 1980s, airlines CRSs have emerged into Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) by gradually expanding their geographical coverage, as well as by integrating both horizontally and vertically. GDSs emerged as the circulation system or the backbone of the industry by establishing a global communication standard and a new tourism electronic distribution channel. GDSs increasingly offer both leisure and business product, by providing information and allowing reservations for theatre tickets, holiday packages and tourism destinations. Eventually core GDSs are expected to base on a network of smaller, regional and specialized computerized systems for their leisure products. GDSs’ efficiency and reliability enable principals to distribute and manage their reservations globally, by bridging consumer needs with the tourism supply (Buhalis, 1998).
Buhalis (1998) stated that Internet convergence media, telecommunications, and information technology increases the interactivity between consumers and suppliers. Since the early 1990s the World Wide Web (WWW) has emerged as the fastest growing area of the Internet, enabling distribution of multimedia information. As textual data, graphics, pictures, videos, and sounds are easily accessible through the WWW, it soon become the flagship of the ITs’ revolution and instituted an innovative platform for efficient, live and timely exchange of both ideas and products. The Internet and the WWW bridge the gap between consumers and suppliers and empower closer interaction. The WWW provides an extremely vital service by incorporating similarly structured information and enabling the packaging of a wide range of diverse products and services. ITs also provide the infrastructure for inexpensive delivery of multimedia information, promotion and distribution for both principals and destinations. ITs also assist the provision of tailored made products in order to meet the needs of individual consumers, and as a consequence, they are expected to become instrumental in differentiating tourism supply. The Internet can also strengthen the marketing and communication functions of remote, peripheral and insular destinations as well as small and medium sized enterprises, by empowering their direct communication with the prospective customers as well as by assisting the distribution process. Hence, the rapid development of the Internet and the WWW provide unprecedented and affordable opportunities for the global representation and marketing of tourism.
As a result, tourism enterprises need to understand, incorporate and utilize ITs strategically, in order to be able to serve their target markets, enhance services and maintain long term prosperity for both themselves and destinations. The future success of tourism organizations and destinations will be determined by a combination of innovative management and marketing, intellect and vision, as well as strategic use of advanced ITs (Buhalis, 1998).
2.1.5 The Adoption of IT in Tourism Enterprises
Tourism is a fast growing industry that is, in 2005 it is expected that tourism will be the number one industry in the world. Importance given to tourism by both private and public organizations increases every day, and these organizations try to develop tourism industry. Information technology, which is another fast growing industry, is a key element in the development of tourism. Tourism offers products and services which are information sensitive, in other words there is a high volume of information flow in tourism activities. That is why IT is important for tourism. However; observed as a whole, it is seen that tourism enterprises do not benefit from IT sufficiently. In addition to this, existing adoption and usage of IT is mostly in large enterprises, whereas in small and medium enterprises, which actually represent the majority of tourism industry, the adoption is much more limited (Van der Borg, 1997).
Quality and quantity of the information flow varies among different tourism enterprises. Variables causing this variety are:
· Geographical location of the tourism enterprise: A central location increases the demand of enterprise for IT. A tourism enterprise located in a suburban area manages less complex information flow when compared to an enterprise located in a metropolitan.
· Structure of the tourism enterprise: Structure includes the sub-sector, size and legal status. The spread of IT in sub-sectors is different from each other. There is a continuously expanding use of IT in intermediaries, which are tour operators and travel agencies. On the other hand, spread of IT in transportation and accommodation is slower. Size of the firm is another factor. Large enterprises need to communicate with external parties more than smaller enterprises. Also large tourism firms have more divisions and department in which there is a high flow of information and communication. Finally, legal status of the tourism enterprise such as partnership with another firm, determines the coding of information flows and level of formality, and thus the level of IT adoption.
· Management culture of the tourism enterprise: Attitude of the managers towards new technology is crucial in the adoption of IT. Conservative attitudes towards new technology prevent spread of IT. Also firms, which have already adopted some level of technology, are more likely to improve the existing technology by adopting new technologies (Van der Borg, 1997).
These above are the demand side variables. Supply side is also important. That is to say, availability and accessibility of information technology affects the adoption process. Also when the technology is user-friendly, easy to implement and maintained, demand to IT by the tourism enterprises increases (Van der Borg,et al, ?).
Buhalis (1999) cited that small and medium sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) have always suffered from the distribution function of their marketing. Distribution and intermediation are increasingly recognized as critical factors for the competitiveness and success of the tourism industry in general, and SMTEs in particular. Hospitality organizations receive a growing percentage of their customers through the Internet. Hotel chains have demonstrated their commitment to exploit the Internet as a prime distribution tool and have already allocated a significant proportion of their gross annual revenue for technological development. It is reported in the Hensdill’s (1998) survey that 51% of the hotel chains already receive reservations from the Internet, whilst another 33% are planning to do so in the next 12 months. Unless SMTEs improve their visibility on the electronic marketplace they will lose significant market share and perhaps will be unable to survive in the long term.
More people use ITs (including computer reservation systems (CRS), global distribution systems (GDSs) and the Internet), to locate and purchase tourism and accommodation products. It becomes evident that competent accommodation operators, regardless of their size or location, perceive the Internet as a major opportunity, which will enable them to improve their interactivity with their consumers and other stakeholders (Buhalis, 1999).
Buhalis (1999) argues that the future of SMTEs, which will be unavailable on the electronic marketplace thus inaccessible to consumers and intermediaries, is questionable. It seems therefore that independent properties will lose market share, increase their dependence on intermediaries and jeopardize their profitability, unless of course they develop their Internet presence and interactivity as part of their marketing strategy.
The size and prices charged by SMTEs are not barriers to establishing their Internet presence. This is supported by researches, which demonstrate that with technology costs falling, and hotel revenues rising, expenditure on technology is no longer the main concern for hoteliers (Buhalis, 1999).
- Cost of purchasing hardware, software and communication package
- Training cost of users
- Design and construction of Internet presence
- On-going maintenance and regular updating
- Marketing the Internet service and registration of domain
- Development of procedures for dealing with Internet presence
- Commissions for purchases online by intermediaries
- Advertising fees for representation in search engines and other sites
- Interconnectivity with travel intermediaries such as TravelWeb, ITN, Expedia
- Direct bookings, often intermediaries and commission free
- Global distribution of multimedia information and promotional material
- Low cost of providing and distributing timely updates of information
- Global presence on the Internet, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- Durability of promotion (in comparison to limited life of printed advertising in press)
- Reduction of promotional cost and reduction of brochure waste
- Great degree of attention by visitors to web site
- Reduction of time required for transactions and ability to offer last minute promotions
- Low marginal cost of providing information to additional users
- Support of marketing intelligence and product design functions
- Development of targeted mailing lists through people who actively request information
- Great interactivity with prospective customers
- Niche marketing to prospective customers who request to receive information
- Interactivity with local partners and provision of added value products at destinations
- Ability to generate a community feel for current users and prospective customers
As Internet users are more likely to be active, independent, educated, affluent and frequent travelers, SMTEs can gain major benefits. A reduction of SMTEs dependence on current distribution channels, i.e. tour operators, travel agencies, travel information centers, tourist guides, will enable them to dissintermediate their distribution channel and perhaps improve their profitability. In addition, enhancing interactivity with consumers will support SMTEs ability to appreciate their needs and requests better and to improve their flexibility and adaptability. Not only can SMTEs reduce their seasonality by producing customized and themed tourism products, but they can also develop individualist bundles of products in order to satisfy niche markets. (Buhalis, 1999)
The Internet allows potential customers to learn about and tour hotel facilities and to compare prices without directly interacting with a hotel’s representatives. For some customers, it is the first and only channel consulted when booking hotel accommodations (Connolly, Olsen and Moore, 1998)
Connolly, Olsen and Moore (1998) reported that processing reservations through the Internet can be cheaper than processing those booked through other channels, particularly when a commission is involved. Even without a commission payment, the industry average cost for every minute of talk or hold time on a toll-free num-ber is $1. Using Thyfault’s average of seven minutes of talk time per reservation, each room booked via a toll-free line costs the hotel $7. This does not take into account the cost of information inquiries, cancellations, or commissions.
Connolly, Olsen and Moore (1998) said that despite its great potential, the Internet’s shortcomings are considerable. Chief among them is the overwhelming volume of data residing on myriad servers. Hoteliers will have to break through the clutter. Search engines are of some assistance, but a search for any given keyword typically turns up dozens of hits. Ownership of consumer data will be a second critical issue. Consumers are concerned about their right to privacy. Likewise, companies will increasingly become concerned as access to their proprietary data by third parties becomes more possible.
2.3. INTERNET as a MARKETING TOOL for TOURISM ENTERPRISES
Lau, et al, (2001) argues that an ideal marketing plan should accomplish the following objectives:
1) Minimize costs: Obtain maximum exposure of promotional messages to a broad customer base, while at the same time minimizing the implementation costs
2) Maximize marketing effectiveness: Understand better customers’ needs and communicate individually with target customers
3) Gain channel control: Establish direct promotion channels to targeted potential travelers and send them tailor-made promotional messages at the appropriate time
With the Internet and World Wide Web, marketers can reach out to a broad customer base, locate target customers, identify their needs, and communicate with them at a relatively low cost (Lau, et al, 2001).
It is possible to build an information database based on the data provided unintentionally by web sites. Such a database would afford marketer a better understanding of the potential travelers’ interests, personal needs, and preferences. (Lau, et al, 2001)
By the end of 2001, it is estimated that 500 millions of people have access to the Internet. So today the Internet is an effective media tool to reach large numbers of people. There are not any geographical boundaries for e-commerce. Tourism enterprises have the opportunity to benefit from a wide range of marketing tools by taking advantage of Internet in their businesses. Besides increasing the effects of marketing activities, use of Internet also decreases the cost of marketing, promotion and distribution significantly. For a small or medium tourism enterprise, designing and maintaining an Internet presence can cost as little as 500$ per year, which is a significantly low amount when compared with the cost of catalogues and brochures, and also a much larger audience is reached So an increasing number of tourism enterprises consider Internet as an important opportunity that improves their relations and interactivity with the stakeholders (Buhalis, 1999).
Connolly, Olsen and Moore (1998) cites that the answer to how much to spend to Internet depends on many factors such as target markets, staffing, technological resources, source of reservations, and cost per reservation of various distribution channels.
Hotel operators must study and analyze the primary sources of their business- how it is booked, by whom, and at what cost. Understanding the distribution share per channel, the cost per reservation per distribution channel and per market segment, and overall marketing mix will give operators information for strategic decisions (Connolly, Olsen and Moore, 1998).
Consumers are, for example, demanding more value and looking to be treated as individuals rather than being part of a mass market. At the same time, these consumers are seeking more timesaving technologies and self-service options, which lend themselves to increased mechanization in delivering service. (Connolly, Olsen and Moore, 1998).
3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
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Contents of the website |
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Dependent Variable |
3.1. Structure of the Checklist
In order to assure that the themes of the checklist, that make up the dimensions of the dependent variable, consist of all the content items that would be available in a hotel website, the research group has carried out an extensive preliminary work by scanning both the nationwide and worldwide hotel websites and benefited from the unpublished doctoral dissertation of Yolal (2003: 142) and the book of E-Marketing (WTO, 2001). Secondly, two members of the group independently sorted the themes into mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories until an agreed categorization was derived. Two independent judges grouped the themes under the agreed categories. The reliability of this process was measured by calculating the agreement level between the judges according to the method applied by Zimmer & Golden (1988: 280-293). The percentage of matching came out to be 82.6% with the z-score significant (See App.I: Reliability Test).
3.2. Research Variables
1. Logo
2. A text describing the hotel
3. Background of the hotel
4. History of the hotel
5. Types of units
6. Unit amenities
7. Prices of units
8. On-site amenities and services
9. Prices of on-site amenities and services
10. Transportation to and from the hotel
11. General information such as natural, cultural, historical resources, climate etc.
12. Transportation to and from the destination
13. Information on the itineraries and tours at the destination
14. Weather forecast
15. Links to destination website(s)
16. General view of the hotel
17. View of the destination
18. Map showing the location of the hotel
19. View of the rooms
20. View of the amenities
21. Background music
22. Continuously changing images
23. Animations
24. 360o viewing
25. Video
26. Live broadcasting
27. Mail address
28. E-mail address
29. Phone numbers
30. Fax numbers
31. Comment box for the website visitors
32. Newsletter subscriptions
33. Announcement screen (pop-ups / an active part on the homepage)
34. Comments of the hotel guests
35. Reservation request
36. Availability check
37. Booking
38. Payment form
39. Multi-languages
40.Currency conversions
41.Site map
42.Statements indicating the terms and conditions for the use of the website
43.Privacy policy
44.Security policy
45.Links to other websites
46.Visit counter
47.Banners
48.Entertainment tools such as games, e-cards
4. METHODOLOGY
4.1. Purpose of the Study
The nature of the study is exploratory, since not much is known about the the contents of 3, 4 and 5 star Turkish hotels’ websites. The study aims to obtain a good grasp of the phenomena of the topic and tries to build a base for a theoretical framework and, in this way, reaches some hypothesis that can be formulated and developed for further subsequent testing (Sekaran, 2000: 123-125).
4.2. Time Horizon
The study is cross-sectional, since data are gathered just once over a period of two months.
4.3. Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis is the websites of 3, 4 and 5 star Turkish hotels.
Websites which belong to hotels that are certificated by municipalities are not included in the population for two reasons: First of all, there is no exact database that could be accessed conveniently. Secondly, even if there was a database, there is no star rating applied by the municipal governments.
Hotels’ URL addresses (listed in the ministry website) which were not independent websites, but in fact were webpages linked under the national or international chains’ or some other parties’ master websites are also not a part of the population. The reason to limit the research around the independent websites is to avoid any complexities and collapses that may arise during data analysis.
4.4. Population
The population refers to all of the independent websites that belong to 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in Turkey. The number of elements have been identified by checking the availability of URL adresses of each and every 3, 4 and 5 star hotel presented on the website of Turkish Ministry of Tourism (http://www.tourism.gov.tr). The final list showed a population of 125 (See App. II: Population Frame). During the data collection stage, there have been eliminations from the population frame due to bad links and ‘under-construction’ websites.
4.5. Sampling
The research group took a census, that is, measured each element in the population of interest (Tull, Hawkins, 1987: 366-368). As a result, the sample size was same as the population, 125, and all the elements were drawn as samples from the population frame. By this method, the coverage of the research in terms of sampling was maximized.
4.6. Data Collection
4.6.1. Secondary Sources
Books, journals, articles and published statistics about the topic were acquired from library, ATARC and Internet in order to make up the literature survey and the introductory part.
4.6.2. Checklist
The qualitative checklist derived from the dimensions of the dependent variable was used for collecting the data from the sample websites.
4.7. Data Analysis
Content Analysis: The structured dimensions of the
checklist were defined in SPSS and the relevant nominal values were inserted as
the data were gathered from the websites. The filled-in codeframe was summarized
into statistics such as frequencies, cross tabs and chi-square tests in order to
find out and discuss the phenomena of the topic, and identify any possible
relationships among the variables.
5. SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF MAIN FINDINGS
1. Types of units is available on 96% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
2. Logo is available on 91% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
3. On-site amenities and services is available on 89% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
4. Unit amenities is available on 78% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
5. Text describing the hotel is available on 75% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
6. Unit prices is available on 45% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
7. Transportation to and from the hotel is available on 26% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
8. Background of the hotel is available on 23% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
9. History of the hotel is available on 10% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
10. Prices of on-Site amenities and services is available on 6% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
Descriptive contents presenting the hotel (1-5) are widely included as if in a brochure.
Background and history of the hotels are not included in the 3 and 4 star hotels’ Web sites as much as those of 5 star hotels’. The reason could be that the owners of 5 star hotels are more institutionalized and/or more enthusiastic to declare themselves.
Prices of on-site amenities is the lowest included content. This can be because the hotels may not want to declare the touristic tariffs which may seem expensive to the customers.
Category 2: Information on the Destination
1. General information such as natural, cultural, historical resources, climate etc. is available on 49% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
2. Weather forecast is available on 25% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
3. Transportation to and from the destination is available on 19% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
4. Information on the itineraries and tours at the destination is available on 14% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
5. Links to destination website is available on 7% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
Information on the destination is not emphasized much. 5 star hotels give more importance to information on the destination and related itineraries and tours. This could be because their executives are more committed into destination management and that they offer a wider variety of tours for the sake of increasing product enrichment.
1. View of the rooms is available on 99% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
2. View of the amenities is available on 98% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
3. General view of the hotel is available on 97% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
4. Map showing the location of the hotel is available on 54% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
5. View of the destination is available on 48% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
Images regarding the views of the rooms, amenities and the hotel are very commonly presented, however; location maps and destination views are observed on approximately 50% of the samples. This situation is correspondent to the frequencies observed in Categories 1 and 2.
1. Animations is available on 30% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
2. Continuously changing images is available on 22% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
3. Background music is available on 19% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
4. 360o viewing is available on 14% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
5. Video is available on 3% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
6. Live broadcasting is not available on any of the websites
Whereas 5 star hotels are more into using audiovisual aids, multimedia usage is not observed in general. Live broadcasting, which was not included in any of the samples, could be a powerful attraction tool for a hotel Web site.
1. Phone numbers is available on 98% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
2. E-mail address is available on 97% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
3. Fax numbers is available on 97% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
4. Mail address is available on 94% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
5. Announcement screen (pop-ups / an active part on the homepage) is available on 19% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
6. Comment box for the website visitors is available on 17% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
7. Comments of the hotel guests is available on 10% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
8. Newsletter subscriptions is available on 8% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
Availability of contact details are highly observed, whereas tools to achieve high customer retention are ignored. It is obvious that 5 star hotel give more importance to customer relations.
1. Reservation request is available on 82% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
2. Availability check is available on 7% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
3. Booking is available on 6% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
4. Payment form is available on 5% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
Reservation request is the most commonly observed dimension in this category, whereas availability check, booking and payment form, which are essentials for online travel planning and purchasing, are inadequate. Efforts of 5 star hotels for online services seem more compared 3 and 4 star hotels.
1. Multi-language is available on 78% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
2. Currency conversions is available on 8% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
3. Site map is available on 7% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
Multi-language support is widely observed in the samples. This dimension is a natural requirement for tourism establishments, however; currency conversions should be enhanced.
1. Privacy policy is available on 4% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
2. Statements indicating the terms and conditions for the use of the website is available on 3% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
3. Security policy is available on 3% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
Web site policies are not given the required attention. Those hotels applying reservation requests in their Web sites, should protect their customers’ privacy. So should they protect their customers’ security in case of online purchasing. However, since online payment forms are not included in the sample Web sites, the inadequacy of security policy is natural.
1. Links to other websites is available on 21% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
2. Visit counter is available on 14% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
3. Entertainment tools such as games is available on 3% of the websites and there is a significant relationship according to the star rating
4. Banners is available on 2% of the websites and there is no significant relationship according to the star rating
6. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS
6.1. Star Rating – Web site Contents
When the dimensions that are significant in terms of star rating are observed, it seems that hotel Web site contents are more available in 5 star hotels, whereas 3 and 4 star hotels are not that rich of content.
6.2. Content of the Sample Web sites
According to the findings, it is observed that the important categories such as Destination, Customer Communications, Online Services and Web Site policies are not stressed strongly.
The hotel as a touristic product is one component of the tourism product – the Destination. Therefore contents regarding information on the destination are very important as they may influence the perceptions of the customers and create an added value for the hotel. The information on the destination should be backed up by audiovisual contents to create a virtual experience (Marketing Tourism Destinations Online, WTO, 1999).
Customer relationship management is essential for the process of creating and maintaining relationships with customers, and is a strong tool to identify, attract, differentiate and retain them.
In order to achieve success in CRM, hotels should concentrate on customization, newsletter subscription and feedback mechanism for Web site and hotel guests (E-marketing, 2003).
Currently there has been an increase of bookings via the Internet. According to the Travel Industry Association of America (2002), 71.9 million consumers were expected to use the Internet to make travel plans, with the 20% of those actually purchasing their travel online. Therefore, services that support travel planning and purchasing online is increasingly important for the hotels to survive in the Information Age.
Privacy and security policies must be applied for the sake of protecting customers. Customers are under threat, since lots of data about them can be gathered by hotel with or without intention. Moreover, security must be provided for customers who demand to purchase their travel online and, therefore; disclose their credit card information. As an Internet user trend, logos of privacy and security protection softwares such as Verisign, SSL and Truste are sought before making online transactions. Once integrated into online services, the hotel web sites should be integrated with those softwares.
6.3. 3, 4 and 5 star Turkish Hotels’ Level of Commitment to E-business
The subject hotels of the study mostly fall into the bottom place of the activity level, since they acts as brochurewares. As the variety of online order processing contents such as booking and payment forms increase, level of business impact rises resulting in cost reduction and higher efficiency. Once the hotels engage in CRM tools such as customization and newsletters, effectiveness of the business process increases through incremental sales and customer retention. The upper levels of the pyramid would not host the hotels, since they include firms whose future mostly consists of mostly or entirely e-business activities.
7. LIMITATIONS AND WEAKNESSES
Time allocated for the administration of the research was limited to three months.
The coverage of the topic is limited to 3, 4 and 5 star Turkish hotels.
In order to determine the population, the Web site of Turkish Ministry of Tourism was taken as the database. Therefore, any missing information regarding the URL addresses of hotels could have caused the population frame to be incomplete.
Websites which belong to hotels that are certificated by municipalities were not included in the population for two reasons: First of all, there is no exact database that could be accessed conveniently. Secondly, even if there was a database, there is no certain star rating applied by the municipal governments.
8. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
A subsequent hypothesis testing could be applied in order to reach a more significant conclusion on the relationship between star rating and website content. Also, the independent variable of star rating could be differentiated to other aspects such as region, type etc.
Website contents of chain hotels, other lodging types such as holiday villages, travel trade establishments and destination management companies both nation and worldwide could also be explored.
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