Identifying Significant Factors Influencing Consumer Trust in an Online Travel Site

Abstract

The critical role of trust as an enabler, especially in a relationship in which the consumer does not have direct control over the actions of a seller and in which marketers seek long-term relations with their consumers, has been widely recognized in both academia and industry. Based on previous studies in multiple disciplines, this study develops a model representing the determinants of consumer trust in an online travel site and reports the results of an empirical investigation for this model. Theoretically, the study advances our current understanding of consumer trust in e-commerce by proposing a model and providing evidence for the major elements contributing to the formation of this construct. From a managerial perspective, the study provides practitioners with practical insights on how to design Internet marketing strategies that can initiate, develop, and maintain consumer trust.