Online travel agencies vs direct bookings : investigating consumer behaviour within Gozo’s guesthouse market

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research study aims to examine the choice between two tourist accommodation booking channels, through the decision-making mechanisms concerning personality and motivational consumer behaviour traits. Methodological Approach: The primary data, which provided an insight into the patterns and link between consumer personality and motivation with the tourist accommodation booking channel of choice, was collected through a structured questionnaire. The research instrument was chosen due to its capabilities to efficiently gather a sample’s demographical, personality and motivational elements. Findings: Research findings identified which of the eleven online shopping motivational traits are statistically significant towards the choice for holiday accommodation search and booking channel. Additionally, the research identified which of these motivational traits hold a statistical significance with consumer personality, attributing each personality class with its respective motivational traits. Research Limitations: Time and cost constraints were by far the most restrictive limitation, imposing boundaries upon the researcher which limited the depth of study that the researcher could analyse. Another limitation included the lack of GDPR-compliant consumer database housed by the businesses on the island. This lack of data, drastically, reduced the possibility for the researcher to contact a larger sample and increase confidence intervals. Implications: This study sheds light on the subconscious decision making adhered to by a consumer, based upon his personality and motivational characteristics. This offers a deeper understanding into potential marketing tactics and strategies that can effectively increase direct sales.