Niklas Eriksson

User Experience of Trip Arrangements: A Comparison of Mobile Device and Computer Users

This study examines the user experience of arranging a trip of low-intermediate complexity over a mobile device using existing travel services. A research platform is presented and findings reported to reveal the potential problem areas that users face when using their mobile device to make trip arrangements on a mobile device. The results are compared with computer users to understand whether the problems that mobile users face are statistically significant when compared with the potential problems that computer users face. To gain deeper understanding, the authors also analyze whether the type of services, mobile devices and user skills have an impact on the self-arrangement experience on a mobile device. Data was collected through controlled classroom experiments with samples of students. The main contribution of this study is that it identifies potential problem areas for mobile travel users and provides insights for practitioners to plan effective mobile channel strategies.

A Follow Up of Internet Adopters’ Use, Perceptions and Channel Preferences of Electronic Travel Services

For this study a consumer scenario was developed to get insights into Internet adopters’ use, perceptions and channel preferences of electronic travel services. The findings are drawn upon empirical data collected in Finland with a self-administered Web-questionnaire in fall 2004 and a follow up in spring 2011. The results confirm a steady growth of electronic travel service use, but imply further developments of online services that support the last face of the investigated consumer scenario; reflection and evaluation. An overwhelming margin of the respondents prefers the electronic channel (computer-based or mobile device-based) over conventional interaction (e.g. calling and face to face interaction) for the studied consumer scenario. The results also confirm that the mobile channel should primarily be seen as a closely integrated supplement channel rather than a standalone channel only focusing on certain consumer activities.

The Relative Impact of Wi-Fi Service on Young Consumers’ Hotel Booking Online:

This study aims to investigate the relative impact of Wi-Fi on consumers’ hotel bookings. It investigates two dimensions of Wi-Fi (price and reviews) in relation to overall hotel ratings, brand, and price per night. A scenario was arranged whereby participants (n = 120) booked a hotel room online. The results (r = .991, p = .000) of a conjoint analysis show that Wi-Fi price and Wi-Fi reviews affect the consumers’ booking, but not as much as hotel ratings and price per night. When looking only at Wi-Fi, results show that previous guests’ Wi-Fi reviews have a higher impact on booking than Wi-Fi price. Further analysis shows that Wi-Fi can be a “deal breaker” in a competitive and/or undifferentiated market. We propose that the impact of Wi-Fi can be understood as rule-governed behavior. Consequently, behavioral understanding of the impact of Wi-Fi could aid hotel managers in developing more effective marketing strategies.

Travellers’ Intended Future Trip Arrangement Strategies for Things to Do During a Trip: Implications for Travel Distribution

Travel distribution is in constant change and has emerged into a complex structure. The emergence of a hybrid era of three screens—computer, tablet and smartphone—is further driving the change. Many travellers are nowadays connected to the Internet in all stages of the traveller life cycle. The activity and attraction sector of the travel and tourism market sets a focus primarily on at destination distribution and therefore the emergence of intelligent and context-aware mobile services and new intermediates with a heavy focus on mobile strategies may indeed change the distribution of these types of travel services. The aim of this paper is to investigate travellers’ intended future trip arrangement strategies for things to do during a trip and to discuss the implication this may have for travel distribution.

Young-Elderly Travellers as Potential Users and Actual Users of Internet with Mobile Devices During Trips

The population is rapidly ageing in countries such as Finland. However, little research has been conducted to better understand older travellers’ use of Internet and mobile devices. This qualitative study aims at exploring young-elderly (aged 60–75) travellers as potential users and actual users of the Internet with mobile device during trips. The results identify a range of possible drivers and barriers for the use of Internet with mobile devices and their impact on the travel experience during trips. The study also suggests that there is a substantial number of young-elderly travellers that are quite advanced in their mobile usage behaviour.