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Title: | Online shopping characteristics for consumers of Gen X and Gen Y for travel related products |
Authors: | De Martino, Steffi |
Keywords: | Teleshopping Tourism -- Information services Social media |
Issue Date: | 2015 |
Abstract: | More and more consumers are turning to the internet for communication purposes and to research information more conveniently. The need to travel, for business or for leisure, is also on the increase. The internet is beginning to take over the traditional travel agencies communication methods, whereby consumers are now resorting to the internet for information search and booking procedures. This dissertation, entitled ‘Online shopping characteristics for Gen X and Gen Y consumers for travel related products’ aims to explore and compare several characteristics of both generations when shopping for travel services online. Furthermore, this study aims at identifying the prime reasons consumers of both generations choose to purchase their travel services online, rather than at a traditional travel agency. In order to gather the required data, an online survey was distributed via a Facebook group ‘RUBS travel’, and also to the university population through the registrar, whereby 120 replies were obtained. Since the survey was sent out using the two databases mentioned previously, the sample may not necessarily be representative and therefore generalization of the entire population needs to be done with caution. Journals, textbooks and online sources were also used to get a better idea of past research. Previous studies have helped formulate five main characteristics that will be examined amongst both generations in this study. The SPSS software was used to analyse data, and form descriptive statistics as well as cross tabulations and reliability and validity analysis. The main findings show that a majority of the consumers are using the internet more than 4-‐5 hours a day. However consumers of Gen Y are accessing the internet more frequently than those of Gen X. Results of the survey also showed that social media has a far greater influence on consumer of Gen Y, encouraging them to research for information regarding new destinations. While information available 24/7 is the primary reason consumers of Gen X are choosing online communication methods for travel services, consumers of Gen Y chose ‘Low fares on the net’, which indicates that consumers of Gen Y are more price conscious. This further indicates that online bookings are providing lower prices, which pushes consumers to purchase off the internet. Results from the survey showed that all respondents agreed that purchasing online is more convenient for several reasons, primarily being that information search is very easy and also for the simple reason that purchasing from a travel agency is time consuming. Finally, the results indicated that consumers of Gen Y have fewer problems trusting online internet sources when compared to those of Gen X. The implication of these findings points towards the need for travel agencies to focus their effort on online marketing communication tools since the trends of online travel purchases is increasing. |
Description: | B.COMMS.(HONS) |
URI: | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar//handle/123456789/9093 |
Appears in Collections: | Dissertations - FacMKS - 2015 Dissertations - FacMKSMC - 2015 |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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15BCOMM014.pdf Restricted Access | 1.4 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open Request a copy |
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