Consumer Behavior in e-Tourism

Tourism scholars have extensively investigated tourist’s behavior; from motivations to actual choices and consumption patterns, the way tourists behave has relevant implications for theory and practice. In e-Tourism consumer behavior encompasses the wide range of tourists´ behaviors supported by technologies and happens at different stages: prior undertaking a vacation, during the experience itself and after it, when tourists are engaged in post vacation assessments. Research on these aspects is vast, encompassing both the supply and demand side, but it remains scattered. This chapter provides an informed overview of consumer behavior in the e-Tourism era. The core of the chapter focuses on three phases of consumer behavior that have significantly been reshaped by e-Tourism: pre-trip stage, on-site experience and post-trip evaluation. These three relevant areas are herein analyzed, and considering the tourists and providers perspective, the most relevant changes enabled by the e-Tourism Era are presented. The conclusion section discusses the relevance of behavioral changes induced by digitally mediated experiences, outlines advances and presents future perspectives for tourism and hospitality.