Assessing pre-travel online destination experience values of destination websites: scale development and validation

Anne Köchling () and Martin Lohmann
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Anne Köchling: German Institute for Tourism Research at West Coast University of Applied Sciences
Martin Lohmann: Leuphana University Lüneburg

Information Technology & Tourism, 2022, vol. 24, issue 4, No 2, 457-484

Abstract: Abstract Destination websites, provided by destination marketing/management organisations (DMOs), are central environmental drivers of tourist experiences in the pre-travel phase. DMOs increasingly apply experiential marketing on their websites to support positive online destination experiences (ODEs) and attract tourists. Despite the ongoing scientific debate on technology-driven tourist experiences, research into pre-travel ODEs is still nascent and theoretical knowledge on the nature of ODEs is limited. Particularly, an appropriate measurement tool to evaluate the pre-travel experience value of destination websites is missing. In this paper, we propose a reliable, valid, and parsimonious measure for assessing pre-travel ODEs on destination websites, building on two prior studies. In a quasi field experiment, German millennials (n = 1820) evaluated the ODEs of different real destination websites using an online questionnaire. The ODE scale was developed using principal component analysis based on half of the cases; the other half was used to validate the scale via confirmatory composite analysis. In result, the overall ODE is reflected by two interrelated dimensions: hedonic and utilitarian experiences. Websites with a high level of experiential design yield significantly higher ODE values, supporting the construct validity. Results contribute to the theoretical understanding of the technology-driven tourist experience in the anticipatory phase. Moreover, the developed scale yields a methodological knowledge gain and will help destination managers to evaluate, purposefully review and improve their website designs and contents.

Keywords: Destination website; Online destination experience; Experiential marketing; Scale development; Scale validation; Pre-travel phase (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s40558-022-00240-x

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