Travel review website usage: A cultural perspective

Purpose: This study aims to investigate tourists’ propensity to use travel review websites (TRWs) during the pre- and post-travel stages from a cultural perspective. Design/methodology/approach: This quantitative study is guided by the positivist paradigm. Data were obtained from an online survey, focussing on Australia, Canada, India and Malaysia. Findings: The results indicate significant relationships between country of residence and the time research begins prior to an international or domestic holiday being undertaken; between country of residence and trust levels for information on TRWs; and country of residence and whether or not respondents post reviews on TRWs. These results are discussed using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Long-term orientation shows a moderate cultural influence of respondents’ trust of information on TRWs, while a country’s individualistic or collectivist orientation has a strong influence on respondents’ posting/not posting a review on a TRW. Research limitations/implications: Care should be taken when generalising the findings beyond the study population, as no randomisation occurred with survey distribution. Practical implications: The results of this study have implications for managers of tourism businesses wishing to better facilitate information-sharing behaviours of their customers through TRWs. Social implications: The cross-cultural comparisons used in this study add value to tourism studies, particularly when comparing Eastern and Western societies. Originality/value: The study adds to the knowledge base on consumer pre- and post-trip online behaviours, considering the effect of country of residence and any influence from Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.