Experts from Granada University Stress Importance of Travel Websites for promoting Andalusia

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Researchers belonging to Granada University’s Business Administration and Marketing group (Ademar) have stressed the importance of travel websites for promoting Andalusia as a tourist destination.

The study conducted by the research group on the influence of Internet when choosing a holiday destination reveals that if “visitors are satisfied with the information obtained from researching travel websites, they will also be satisfied with the destination after the trip”; hence the importance of adapting website information to the needs of visitors in terms of accessibility, presentation and content.

In addition, the study includes a comparative analysis of the Internet and travel agencies for choosing a holiday destination. Findings confirm that tourists “return more satisfied with their destination if they have enquired about it through an agency”. According to expert opinion, this is due to the fact that agencies offer clients information more suited to their needs.

Likewise, the Internet provides “a lot of information, although it does not satisfy users’ specific needs, which sometimes puts the chosen destination in a bad light”. Therefore, so as to boost the use of the Internet as a travel tool and give users a favourable impression of the destination, the experts advocate for websites designed to satisfy tourists’ real needs, where they can easily find what they are looking for.

Furthermore, there exists a correlation between satisfaction with the information obtained, the destination, and the capacity to recommend the place. The study shows that tourists that are satisfied with the information that they have found online about their holiday destination, are more likely to be satisfied with their trip and recommend the place to others.

Other findings of the study indicate that the Internet is a source of information that tourists are using more frequently, and that the average age of users is increasing.

Published
08/05/2008