Understanding the antecedents and consequences of the perceived usefulness of travel review websites

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the antecedents and consequences of the perceived usefulness (PU) of travel review websites. Design/methodology/approach: An integrated model was proposed and 199 valid data were collected via a questionnaire survey from an online travel service company. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied in data analysis. Findings: The antecedents of the PU of travel review websites are utilitarian and hedonic perceptions, specifically the information quality of eWOM (utilitarian perceptions), curiosity fulfilment and enjoyment in travel review websites usage (hedonic perceptions). The PU of travel review websites positively impacts travelers’ eWOM generation, eWOM use and purchase decision. Practical implications: This paper provides implications for travel review websites, social media managers and website designers on how to make a useful travel review website which will lead to eWOM use and generation, as well as purchase decision. Originality/value: Prior literature has highlighted the importance of the PU of eWOM in determining travelers’ use of eWOM and purchase decision, the PU of eWOM websites has not attracted the attention of researchers. This paper is a new attempt to investigate the antecedents and consequences of the PU of travel review websites.