The Effect of E-WOM on Tourists’ Experience at Malaysian Island Beach Resorts
Abstract
In recent years, customer experience has strengthened its presence within the global tourism industry generally viewed as an experience-intensive sector. Despite that, major influences of customer experience are still debatable amongst academics and business practitioners alike. This study aimed to examine the extent to which electronic word-of-mouth (or eWOM) forms of communication influenced total guest experience, involving both escapism and aesthetic experience elements. Using a quantitative research design, 433 usable survey feedbacks were collected from target respondents comprising tourists staying at major island beach resorts in Malaysia. Data analyses were carried out using a structural equation modelling approach in testing the hypothesized assumptions. Findings revealed a significant relationship between eWOM and escapism experience. On the contrary, no significant relationship was observed between eWOM and aesthetic experience. This study makes a contribution to the academic literature in which it establishes the importance of eWOM on tourists’’ experience. Several practical implications also were further discussed.
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About this article
Publication Date
06 May 2024
Article Doi
eBook ISBN
978-1-80296-132-4
Publisher
European Publisher
Volume
133
Print ISBN (optional)
-
Edition Number
1st Edition
Pages
1-1110
Subjects
Marketing, retaining, entrepreneurship, management, digital marketing, social entrepreneurship
Cite this article as:
Putit, L., Shobri, N. D. M., & Suki, A. A. (2024). The Effect of E-WOM on Tourists’ Experience at Malaysian Island Beach Resorts. In A. K. Othman, M. K. B. A. Rahman, S. Noranee, N. A. R. Demong, & A. Mat (Eds.), Industry-Academia Linkages for Business Sustainability, vol 133. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 1056-1067). European Publisher. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2024.05.85