Website Quality and the Role of Travel Perceived Risk in Influencing Purchase Intention: A Study on Bali Tourism Board’s Official Website

Abstract

There has been an increased intensity in the use of the website as a strategic means for marketing a destination. Out of all local tourism government’s official websites, The Bali Bible (www.thebalibible.com), managed by Bali Tourism Board (BTB), is observed to be the most comprehensive tourism website which allows tourists to explore Bali before the visit. The website facilitates tourists to purchase the tourism-related products and services offered such as accommodation, local transportation rent, and tickets of tourist attractions in Bali. This study aimed to examine the effect of website quality of the Bali Tourism Board on purchase intention with travel perceived risk as a moderating variable. The survey was completed to 239 respondents who had ever surfed on the Bali Tourism Board website. The result of the study revealed that website quality could significantly enhance the intention to purchase directly on the website. While travel perceived risk had a direct influence on purchase intention, it appeared not to be a significant moderating variable that contributes to the effect of website quality on the intention to purchase on the website. Through these results, recommendations are offered to relevant destination stakeholders to improve the website management.