Member Reputation and its Influence on Travel Decisions: A Case Study of an Online Travel Community

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate member reputation in an online travel community and its influence on different types of travel decisions. The research design employed a case study approach. In order to examine the influence of member reputation on travel decisions in this community, the members were divided into three groups according to their total number of postings: low-, medium-, and high-activity members. The results showed that medium-activity members were influential in accommodations, food and beverages, safety, money, destination information, and itinerary decisions; low-activity members were influential in food and beverages, transportation, destination information, and itinerary decisions; high-activity members were influential in food and beverages, destination information, and itinerary refinements.