TripAdvisor’s Role in Travel Choices

Chapter 1: Introduction

Background information

Individuals have unique way of interpreting the world and interacting with it (Lindlof 1995). If we consider that this dissertation is intended to explore the way in which users perceive this website, how it is affecting their consuming habits, and the reason why they post comments, we have to understand that this study needs the application of individual interviews as a form of research method. In addition, the TripAdvisor website does not allow the publication of opinions in a group manner. Each opinion is associated with the account of an independent user (TripAdvisor 2018). This justifies why the individual interviews are more adequate than group interviews. As its name suggests, TripAdvisor is a website that advises its users on everything related to travel. Specifically about hotels, activities and restaurants around the world. This website was founded by the American Stephen Kaufer in February 2000. Since then, the success of the platform has led to its expansion into 27 countries. The income that the page receives is secondary to publicity, particularly travel agencies with links to their pages where users can make reservations. TripAdvisor has a great attraction for travel agencies as it receives more than 40 million visitors a year looking for information about its lists, attractions, hotels and restaurants. These features make this website different from the old travel guides, since all the information and advice comes from previous travellers, unlike the previous guides such as the Michelin Guide, created by professional critics (Jeacle 2011). According to their own description, TripAdvisor is the largest travel community in the world; a living place that receives constant contributions and a website in which everyone can participate, sharing their experiences and opinions with the whole world and facilitating the planning and realization of trips for its users (Jeacle 2011). Undoubtedly, in a short period of time TripAdvisor has established itself as one of the most successful cultural and commercial websites. A simple explanation of this fact could be the way in which this website has been able to take advantage of certain factors such as technology, opportunities and new travel patterns. That is why TripAdvisor can be considered as rationality and truth because it meets the criteria of certainty, controllability and order (Giddens 1990). Since the creation of the TripAdvisor website, the influence of users has affected the food and beverage industry irreversibly. That is why various authors have investigated and analyzed this phenomenon, yet studies related with the food and beverage industry have not been sufficiently carried out.

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how the use of TAR (TripAdvisor Restaurants) is affecting this industry and how this website is creating trust with user opinions through eWOM (electronic word of mouth). TripAdvisor is working as a collective intelligence to measure the quality of restaurants online. While some customers are looking for the most popular or famous places, others are more interested about such things as menu prices (Rhee et al, 2013). The research findings tries to show the effects of eWOM in regards to establishing consumer trust and how marketing managers can develop strategies to encourage their customers to create positive opinions.

Aim and Objectives

The aim of this dissertation is to examine the impact that eWOM has on the food and beverage industry since consumers have the opportunity to comment on quality, service and expose publicly their satisfaction through applications such as TripAdvisor. This study will explore the extent that these opinions are affecting the restaurants and consumers, which may view this new form of mass criticism as positive and even promotional, or on the contrary as a negative new trend. Taking into account the aforementioned aims, the objectives are as follows:

Develop a set of propositions to guide the study Provide a set of recommendations to TAR (TripAdvisor Restaurants) To carry out a primary analysis with a sample of consumers who use TAR Investigate the literature review on the topics of Traditional WOM, eWOM, trust, adoption of information, and market democratization Performing interviews with a sample of consumers to investigate their experiences with TAR Investigate the consequences that online reviews could have for restaurants Explore how and why TAR is changing the food and beverage industry

Research problem and Study Scope

In spite of the fact that there are many articles that discuss how TAR works and its influence on the gastronomic world, there is a gap in the literature about the repercussions that this website is having on the economy of local restaurants, and if such a website is really changing the consumption habits of consumers. Traditionally, many restaurants on touristic sites have been known as “tourist traps”, since before the Internet there was no access to this form of eWOM. However there were guides, such as the Michelin guide, or the guide "Du routard" created by professional critics (Jeacle 2011), but the number of restaurants that appeared in these types of publications was very limited. Nowadays thanks to the Internet and the volume of information on websites like TripAdvisor, users feel empowered and safe (Nomao 2012). If we take into account that the TAR segment dedicated to gastronomy has hundreds of thousands of opinions about local restaurants rather than restaurant chains, we can deduce how users may now be inclined to consume at more local restaurants over known chain restaurants, and therefore indirectly influence the growth of these local restaurants (Rao et al, 2003). This study is therefore going to focus on investigating how and why TripAdvisor is changing consumption habits of people in regards to restaurants thanks to eWOM. The purpose of the dissertation is to create an in-depth study of the use of TripAdvisor Restaurants as an emerging form of communication, and its influence and impact on the hospitality and consumer industry. Taking into account the previously proposed objectives, the purpose of this study will be to answer the following question:

Scope of the study

The research is related to the following topics: e-word of mouth, new dominant logic, consumer behavior, purchase intention, adoption of information, mass criticism, democratization choice, collective intelligence, user comments, TripAdvisor, online trust, online reviews, customer satisfaction, consumer- generated media, information quality dimensions, value co-creation. This study is not going to approach topics of corporate social responsibility, social marketing, trusts rankings, products ranking, and information quantity. This research will focus on the mentioned topics because they are the most important within the logical thinking that can offer the answer to the question of this dissertation. In addition these are currently the most important phenomena that are affecting the gastronomic industry.

Chapter 2: Literature review

Traditional WOM

According to Sudaram et al. (1998) there are eight reasons that explain why WOM behavior is mainly produced. Four of which are positive and four negative. The four positives include altruism, product involvement, self- enhancement, and helping the company. The four negatives are, negative WOM altruism, anxiety reduction, vengeance, and advice seeking. Arndt (1967) defined WOM as a form of communication between individuals that refers to a brand, product or service. These individuals have no commercial intention, do not use marketing channels to communicate and do not have commercial interests. The traditional form of WOM communication is still one of the most powerful for customers with respect to forms of marketing communication (Day 1971). WOM takes place in a non-computed mediated context, often occurs in a face-to- face context, and frequently in private conversations (Kozinets et al, 2010).

Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM)

According to Hennig (et al., 2003) eWOM is any positive or negative statement made by clients or potential customers about a product or service shared through the Internet. Participants in this form of communication belong to a network of people where all the conversations are public and visible; in other words, users who share their interest in products, services or activities form these communities. In addition these individuals do not usually know each other (Kozinets et al, 2010). We also have to take into account that both traditional WOM and eWOM have an emitter and a receiver. The difference is that the online message of the issuer will permanently remain so that the reach of its receptors will be infinitely greater (Godes and Mayzlin 2004). According to King et al. (2014), eWOM differs from traditional WOM in the bigger volume, dispersion, persistence, observability, anonymity, deceptiveness, salience of valence, and community engagement. It is for the reasons mentioned above that different investigations have been carried out so far in relation to eWOM. These investigations have been mainly focused on the factors that generate opinions online and the consequences that this entails for both consumers (issuers) and recipients (companies involved) (Cantallops et al, 2014). We can understand therefore the growing interest of entrepreneurs in this new form of purchase based on recommendations, since eWOM is a new form of bi- directional communication only possible through the Internet where entrepreneurs have the opportunity to respond, and all these opinions and experiences can be read by other users (Fox et al, 2016). As a result, it is clear that consumers and audiences are no longer mere recipients of media content but are now also co-producers thanks to websites such as TripAdvisor. In other words, there is a two-way communication from one-to-world platform (Fox et al., 2016).

TRUST

Trust was defined by Mayer (Mayer et al, 1995) as the predisposition of a passive vulnerable party to have expectations about the actions of another active party, with the belief that the active party will carry out a relevant action for the passive part. This definition has been accepted by many other experts in their definitions of trust (Hajli et al, 2014). The two largest dimensions that have been used to measure trust are benevolence and credibility. It is understood that benevolence involves the repeated actions between seller and buyer (Ba et al., 2002). The consumer believes that the marketer is going to carry out positive actions for him (Gerard, 2009). While credibility is more impersonal and based on the belief that one party will be honest with the other in a transaction (Ba et al, 2002) and that this transaction will be effective and reliable (Gerard, 2009). Trust plays a fundamental role in e-commerce, where users see all their risk in their transactions, which is why the absence of trust in this area can be one of the biggest reasons for an online business to fail (Jones et al. 2008). The uncertainty of consumers towards online businesses intensifies if they also deal with new products and services (Zhao et al 2010). It is therefore fundamental to understand the reasons that lead consumers to comprehend how electronic commerce and social media establish trust models. These reasons according to Hajli's research (et al 2014) can be seen in the following graph.

This graph indicates how the "social commerce constructs" influence consumer confidence in a positive way. These social commerce constructs include: recommendations and referrals, ratings and reviews, and forums and communities. The research by Hajli et al. (2014) demonstrates how social commerce can help new companies or unknown companies to build trust through the information that users share on websites. Lin et al. (2010) study the causes and effects that make a website influence the confidence of the client and therefore their purchase intention demonstrating how the trust has a significant positive influence on purchase intention. The online travel website TripAdvisor seems to be playing the role of intermediary between the trust of the users and the hotels or restaurants that appear on the website (Jeacle et al, 2011). TripAdvisor receives more than 40 million visitors (potential customers) per month. Its success is partly due to the creation of trust, and its entire model is based on the commercialization of trust. It is therefore easy to understand the attractiveness of the website compared to traditional travel guides, such as the Michelin guide. This is because the information and advice comes from the opinions of millions of consumers and not from paid professionals (Jeacle et al, 2011). If we take into account that the segment of the website that refers to gastronomy, there are hundreds of thousands of independent restaurants. We can understand why people trust TripAdvisor, but we also can appreciate how restaurants belonging to chains are not evaluated as independent restaurants as it not worthwhile for consumers review them as such (Rao et al., 2003). One of the biggest concerns of the website seems to be ensuring the credibility of the reviews. For this, TripAdvisor requests personal data as an essential requirement to register, and does not allow commercial emails, but allows owners and managers to access the website to respond to user comments. In the case where managers or owners are tempted to post false comments about their own businesses, TripAdvisor warns of their "zero tolerance" for this type of practice. This makes users feel confident. The website also advises how to alert about dubious practices of managers and business owners. This is extremely important for the reputation of TripAdvisor since its integrity depends on it (Jeacle et al., 2011). Despite all the attempts of TripAdvisor to guarantee the credibility of its website, it has been investigated by the ASA (Avertising Standars Authority) for having received numerous individual complaints from hoteliers and restaurateurs who claim to have suffered great losses to their business as a result of false or defamatory opinions of the users on the website. The pressure on the part of hoteliers and restaurateurs has been such that after these attacks it has had to change the slogan of "reviews you can trust" to "reviews from our community" (Smith, 2011).

Adoption of Information

The ORs (online reviews) generate a content that is disseminated through the Internet, and that subsequently becomes very important for both the travellers who will adopt this information and for the business people interested in understanding the behaviour of the travellers (Park et al 2007). Not all types of information are equally important for travellers. The quality in the perceived information is a strong predictive element that will indicate the possibilities of adoption by users (Park et al 2007). It can be understood as quality messages that are precise, relevant or have an added value. Other factors, however, such as, for example, its comprehensibility and integrity, have proved not to have significant influence and relevance for users (Filieri et al 2014). Regarding the accuracy of the information in TripAdvisor, we can say that the travellers interpret it as truthful because it comes from other users who have experienced these services before and who provide an a posteriori accurate evaluation of the product or service (Filieri et al, 2014). The information with added value is one in which users make both positive and negative reviews. Readers interpret these criticisms as real and adopt this information, understanding that it is practical as it helps them to carry out their own evaluation based on those comments (Filieri et al, 2014). Another aspect to take into account is the relevance of this information, that is, the accumulation of different experiences of different groups, with different opinions, needs, and evaluations. These are another antecedent of the adoption of information if we understand that that the users will obtain the information they want based on their needs (Filieri et al 2014).

Market Democratization

According to Nomao (2012) review websites contribute to the market democratization in the Internet market with rankings and opinions. In the last years, users have been able to share their opinions about goods and services. Two good examples of this market democratization are Amazon and TripAdvisor. These standardized systems are also called “online consumer review” (OCR) because they allow customers to share their opinions about their experiences in the restaurants, hotels and other services offered by the website. The new “empowerment” and “democratization” through the Internet allows listening to the consumer voice. Now the consumers have a lot of power over the food and beverage industry.We also have to take into account that both the hotel industry and restaurant industry are where most customers participate but in particular, restaurants are the most extensively reviewed category (Nomao 2012). The "democratization of the market" as a form of participation allow “ordinary” customers to express themselves in the public sphere. Traditionally the influencers used to be guides, magazines, news or WOM. The difference with traditional methods is that sites like TripAdvisor add personal judgment devices where people can write with simple expressions and communicate their experiences (Karpic 2000). The traditional gastronomic guides used to rely on experts whose job was to create an evaluation and criteria of the standards to follow (Bonnet 2004). The Michelin guide was the first one to create a ranking scale to quantify the quality of the gourmet restaurants. After that, the guide “Du Routard” was created to include the rest of the restaurants that didn’t follow the cannons of the traditional French cuisine (Mellet et al, 2014). The problem with these guides was that they seemed to be aimed at a wealthy elite of professional critics and consumers of luxury and exclusive restaurants. Now, all of these critics seem to be in danger before the appearance of the online review websites; since this globalization and democratization of gastronomic experts has awakened a popular interest in which all people play to be food critics. In any case, this social change has impacted the way in which consumers perceive and frequent restaurants (Landré 2017). The market democratization can also be interpreted as a kind of collective intelligence where the actions of the individuals produce a collective effect. The repetition of similar complaints or recommendations from different points of view of other users can create a useful common idea for users about how a restaurant is without ever having gone. This type of information can of course affect making process decisions that lead to the purchase action (Jakopovic, 2017). The term “collective intelligence” is used to describe a phenomenon that occurs daily for all individuals who with their individual efforts take part in achieving a common objective with collective effects. An example of this can be a colony of ants, a football team, or any association that seeks to achieve something in common.

It is possible to observe how thanks to the Internet this form of collective intelligence has evolved; presenting itself as a form of conversational behavior that generates a large amount of publicly visible user generated content. The users who interact are different and have different points of view; they do not even have the same nationality, which means that the information on the Internet about their experiences can be considered as trustworthy and unbiased (Jakopovic, 2017). Another peculiarity of TripAdvisor is to see how consumer reviews and evaluations of three-star restaurants (Michelin) can appear next to those of a kebab shop (Mellet et al., 2014).

Chapter 3: Conceptual structure of Market Democratization applied to TripAdvisor-Restaurants

Based on the collected literature, we can extract the following concept of how TripAdvisor is part of the market democratization and how it works within restaurants. This graph explains how users start this cycle by reading the different ORs offered by the website. These opinions generate confidence in the users, which leads them to make the decision to go to the recommended restaurants (purchase behavior). In turn, the consumer will have the possibility of writing his opinion about said experience, collaborating to create a collective intelligence and market democratization, which helps other users.

Research proposition summary

After an exhaustive study of the literature review, the following propositions have been formulated:

Chapter 4: Methodology

The methodology of this research demonstrates and justify with the literature why a qualitative research method has been selected for the proposed dissertation. This section indicate the sampling strategy, data collection method, data analysis, reliability and validity and the ethical considerations of this research through capturing the research ideological framework, approach, methods, design, data collection methods, analysis, and ethical consideration observed during study.

The methodology of this research demonstrates and justify with the literature why a qualitative research method has been selected for the proposed dissertation. This section indicate the sampling strategy, data collection method, data analysis, reliability and validity and the ethical considerations of this research through capturing the research ideological framework, approach, methods, design, data collection methods, analysis, and ethical consideration observed during study.

4.1: Philosophical framework: Epistemology Interpretivism

Phenomenology is considered a philosophical and methodological approach. It is the ability of the researcher to perceive individual perception, this is to say, phenomenology helps the researcher to step into the shoes of the interviewee to understand why they perceive the things as they do, and specifically investigating what influences the behavior of consumers. In this case, examining which aspect of the mentioned website are affecting the purchase behavior of the users (Daymon et al., 2012). Taking into account that this research aims to understand the point of view of TripAdvisor users and to establish why they behave as they do, we can deduce how a phenomenological methodology is perfectly suited to our needs.

4.2: Research approach

The qualitative method is usually considered as interpretative because it explores through verbal and non-verbal language the way in which people express and perceive the world (Deacon et al., 1999). Qualitative methods are often inseparable from interpretive ones because as their own name indicates, they interpret reality, that is, they describe it through their interpretation. These methods are also called constructivist. This study therefore interpreted the movements, postures, gestures and expressions of the chosen users as well as their arguments (Daymon et al., 2012). The reasons of applying a qualitative method in this dissertation is to understand the behavior of consumers towards TripAdvisor by gathering information through users who use the website. The qualitative approach helped to describe the constraints and the strategies of the online customer reviews (OCR) in the websites (Mellet et al. 201) The large amount of information about restaurants on TripAdvisor facilitate tourist decision-making about restaurants but also, we have to consider that all this information can be interpreted as a negative aspect as it increases the difficulty of finding a restaurant immediately; a consequence of the volume of restaurants and opinions (Schuckert et al. 2015).

4.3: Exploratory Research design

The classification of marketing research designs can broadly be divided into two groups; exploratory and conclusive. Having already defined the problem and considering that the research process will consist of personal interviews with consumers using a qualitative approach, we can deduce that the endings of the research should be conducted using an exploratory research design. What this study seeks to do is provide insights and understanding into how and why eWOM is affecting the purchase intention in the food and beverage industry. A conclusive research design however led to another type of study where it would be necessary to test specific proposals to examine specific relationships. Instead, a conclusive research fits with the requirements that our question needs as the exploratory research design is based on representative samples subjected to qualitative analysis (Malhotra, 2010). This dissertation applied a deductive approach in the analysis of the information collected since the interviewer designed the theoretical propositions before conducting these interviews and analyze them to extract the key factors that help us answer the proposed question (Burns et al. 2000).

4.4: Data Collection

4.4:1. Primary data (purpose specific) Qualitative

This study will be carried out with primary data, since the researcher will look for the specific purpose to answer the question proposed (Malhotra, 2010). In some cases however, like in this research, primary data is necessary to address the problem at hand with an exploratory method, which gives the interviewer the possibility of asking open questions to the interviewees and thus understand their underlying reasons and motivations. This option is the most appropriate when you want to know the questions to answers like 'How' and 'What' and thus be able to understand more deeply the root of the problem (Saunders et al., 2015). Taking into account that the website TripAdvisor has sufficient statistical quantitative data in it is the format of rankings, a more qualitative study is necessary in order to gain insight into the question of this proposal. A quantitative study to understand the behavior of users on TripAdvisor is not enough, since it is also necessary to know their interests (Malhotra, 2010). The text reviews of customers are responsible for the final decision making of many users. The numerical rankings are only small components added to the complete review. These rankings cannot express all the information that the client wishes to express (Li et al 2013). For example in TripAdvisor a tourist can rate the food of a restaurant with four stars and then write a review that says that the food was good but was nothing special, that it was a bit expensive but still worth it. This demonstrates, as this example indicates, how written opinions are much richer in information than numerical rankings (Jeoushyan et al. 2007). According to Jakopovic (2017) there is a serious gap in the user ratings since they impose estimates based on scales whose results can be misleading while the comments provide much more complete and trustworthy information. In addition, these comments may reflect whether the restaurant that users are reviewing has a global consistency in the comments, that is, multiple consumers complaining about the same aspects or on the contrary, consumers who for example repeatedly recommend something on the menu.

4.4.2: Sampling strategy and sampling size

Taking into account that the samplings can be divided into two groups, non- probability and probability sampling, we have to understand that: In the case of non-probabilistic sampling, the researcher consciously decides which elements to include in the sample by estimating the characteristics of the population. This method does not allow objective or precise evaluations because there is not a projectable statistical method for the population. The non-probabilistic sampling on the other hand is selected by chance; this means that the target population and the sampling frame need to be specifically defined. This study therefore deduced how there is no need to use probability sampling to estimate the market share or volume for the market of TripAdvisor. A data collection analysis is not needed as the website is based on providing all this information with the rankings of best restaurants. We can deduce therefore that the sampling selected is non-probability sampling, which is subject to the subjective judgment of the researcher (Malhotra, 2010). Bearing in mind that this research carried out using non-probability sampling, such sampling will be taken with the population selected by the subjective judgment of the researcher. This method is also called non-representative, as it is not a random, systematic sampling technique (Saunders et al 2015). On the contrary, the drawback or weak points that this method has is that it is considered judgmental or interpretivism, that is, the population elements are collected based on the criteria of the interviewer. That is why this study would not be suitable to be considered representative of the target population because it is not a statistical representation. However, it is the most suitable for this type of exploratory research design since what is sought is a qualitative point of view that a quantitative study does not offer (Sanders et al., 2015). We understand as active members of TripAdvisor, those who have used their services before and are registered users that have shared opinions on that page about their experiences in restaurants (Daymon 2002). The research participant had to be from both sexes and of legal age. These interviewees had to have these specific characteristics to satisfy the purpose of answering the central research question (Silverman, 2010). The procedure for this technique is non-probability, since a test-type study could not give us the kind of detailed information that our research is looking for. This case requires a deeper analysis to answer the questions of how and why. Initially, the research had sample population of between 10 and 15 individuals to be interviewed to answer the questions exposed above. A large number of individuals would not be viable for this research due to the detailed work that this subsequently requires (Carson, 2001; Smith, 2012).

4.4.2. Data collection method

According to Punch (2006) the methods and procedures of collecting data in quantitative and qualitative research are different. While obtaining quantitative data it is necessary to use instruments such as questionnaires and measuring instruments from counting or scaling. The qualitative method requires the study of words that are obtained from the results of the interviews conducted. The most appropriate data collection method for this qualitative study was taken to be semi-structured-open ended interviews, or in-depth interviews. These type of interviews allowed the interviewer greater flexibility to adapt to new possible questions that may arise during the course of the interview. This freedom of elaboration of new points on the fly will give the study a greater perspective from the point of view of the interviewee. The interviewee had the possibility to see the questions in advance but not prepare them to avoid making the interview unnatural (Bearden et al. 2011). In terms of the sample size, the interviews collected in the next dissertation will be of at least 4 samples. One of the greatest advantages of in-depth interviews is that they offer the possibility of uncovering insights that group interviews cannot. This is because the interviewees are alone with the interviewer and do not feel pressure from other participants; therefore the interviewer can inquire into useful alternative answers that may arise during the interview. In addition, the interviewees feel more comfortable and in a more relaxed environment. However, in-depth interviews have disadvantages, such as the difficulty in interpreting the data obtained, as well as the need to have a highly prepared interviewer with sufficient skills. In addition, taking into account that the in-depth interviews have to be transcribed later, and that their duration should be between 30 to 60 minutes, their cost is high and therefore the number of interviews to be carried out should be relatively small (Malhotra 2010). That is why the number of interviewees will be between 13 individuals.

The interviews had a duration of approximately 60 minutes and the individuals that participate will preferably be half men and half women, since this website is used by both sexes (Daymon 2002). Another requirement for the selection of interviewed individuals was they had to be of at least three different nationalities to obtain points of view that are as internationally varied as possible as TripAdvisor operates in more than 27 countries. The individuals interviewed were rewarded at the end of the interview with a cold or hot drink and a snack, in addition to that they had be given an informative sheet about the ethical considerations of the investigation in which they must authorize the recording interview for further study.

4.5. Data analysis

The goal of data analysis will be to decipher, examine and interpret the data collected in the interviews be able to find patterns that help to find an answer to the question mentioned (Malhotra 2010). According to Sanders et al. (2015) it is very important to prepare this phase of the research with some theoretical propositions in advance that helped to collect key factors in our data. This dissertation took into account this form of data analysis although it will also do a Thematic Analysis to facilitate the identification of patterns that are related to the research question (Malhotra 2010). This method was perceived to be of great help in the identifying significant patterns related to the research question. The creation of these patterns makes this information more manageable for analysis leading interpretation and deduction the final conclusion of this investigation.

4.6. Reliability and validity - why qualitative is an appropriate method

To be successful in this research, its validity and reliability were into account since they are the two aspects that ensure the quality of the research. This criticism is necessary before carrying out any marketing research in order to be able to ask yourself how valid your study will be later. It is important however to bear in mind that this research will be a qualitative study so it will depend on the personal perceptions of interviewees and the interviewer. This is to say that it cannot be replicated with identical results, so it does not pretend to have the same reliability as a quantitative study (Bradley 2007 p. 64). This research is suitable for content validity also called face validity because it is a subjective and systematic evaluation study. The researcher applied a representative scale of quality that will be subjective in nature since the measure of validity depended on its interpretation, but the evaluation was systematic of the representativeness of the content of the scale for the measuring the task at hand (Malhotra 2010).

4.7: Ethical Considerations and Limitations

It is important to mention that the data collection for this dissertation was carried out respecting the confidentiality and anonymity principles of the interviewees whose identity was not be revealed. The people chosen have complete information about the investigation, and also about the reasons for which they have been chosen. Participants signed a written consent informing about these ethical considerations and the reason for the investigation. All participants in this research will be over 18 years old and will be have mental capacity. This investigation was not carried out to cause damage or pressure to its participants, and it will respect the right of those who do not wish to participate. The ethical considerations of this research was also guided by the principles of honesty and integrity in the academic writing of this work, avoiding plagiarism, which is the misappropriation of ideas from other authors not mentioned. The language used also respects the non-discrimination or oppression of groups or people through the language and material used (Punch et al. 2007). Time and financial restraints were some of the limitations of this study. Performing it again, this research would use a larger sample size. Future investigations can also involve interviewing and obtaining the point of view of the restaurant managers.

4.8: Interview schedule

This section took into account the views held by Boyce et al. (2006) indicated had to be followed to conduct a successful interview. Dictated by open-ended nature of the questions, the interviewee had to be encouraged to answer with descriptions rather than with a simple yes or no. A second aspect is that before asking the interviewee questions about their opinion, they should be made into factual questions, that is, simple questions to answer that only have a response such as the first one in this list. Lastly, it is important to encourage and stimulate the interviewee to add examples, ideas, explanations, and clarifications of those answers that have not been clear. They must also be motivated to add suggestions to contribute something that may not appear in the interview schedule.

Chapter 5: Findings and data analysis

5.1: Overview

Before carrying out interviews, preliminary tests was conducted to detect possible failures during its course, that is, it was practiced with two pilot interviews to correct for possible failures and deviations. The interviewees for these tests were different from the individuals chosen for the final interviews (Flick 2009). This procedure required meticulous preparation and an exhaustive analysis and interpretation of the interviewed words. This type of interview implied that the following four aspects had be respected:

All interviewees should be asked the same questions

The type and form of questions should be connected to the main research question

The interviewees could be asked sub-questions to ensure that the main questions are answered

A similar time should be spent for all interviews, in this case 60 minutes (Gillham 2005)

Throughout this process applied what Gillham (2005) determined about how data collection should be researched. That is, observation and discovery and not demonstrating things that the researcher previously believed. Analysis should be as objective as possible and the interviewer cannot reflect feeling familiar with the topic or become involved in it. Two depth-interviewing techniques was applied to this investigation to assess the attitude of the interviewees towards TripAdvisor Restaurants. These methods offer the possibility for the interviewer to inquire into useful answers for research.

Laddering - Why do you like to use TripAdvisor-Restaurants? With this question you can find out why this website is important for those interviewed

Symbolic analysis - What alternative service would you use if you could not use Trip Advisor-Restaurants? - With this type of question you can find out what TripAdvisor-Restaurants sell to their users and what they understand their need to be from the website (Malhotra 2010).

The questions allowed the interviewees to talk freely about their experiences with TripAdvisor and how this website is changing their consumption habits to a greater or lesser extent (Boyce et al., 2006). In-depth interviews lasted from 30 minutes to an hour, and similar to a focus group, they will be an unstructured and direct way of obtaining information. Only one interview was conducted that is one-to-one interviews. It worth noting that the participants were designated with a code number, such as participant 1, 2, 3 and so forth aimed at disclosing their respective identify.

5.2: Coding of Data

Considering that the nature of the interview was in-depth questioning, the approach that this dissertation carried out was direct to avoid disguising the true purpose of the project (Malhotra 2010). Once the interviews have been carried out, they were transcribed before analysis. The transcribed data were grouped in a coded manner to draw pattern of the participants’ line of thinking and perception towards the research topic and questions.

5.3: Themes and sub-themes

The coding process resulted in four core themes in which each theme had sub-themes relating to the TAR and eWOM in businesses marketing and activities.

5.4: Thematic Analysis of the Research Data

Reason Consult the TripAdvisor

It is observed from the findings of the previous literature regarding the theme Consult TripAdvisor TA1. All the participants responded to the question on whether they consult TripAdvisor though some stating using frequently while others occasionally. On the reasons they consult the site, responses varied from usefulness, reliability, ease of use, feedbacks, vast information, opinion, to seeking economical places.

Participant 2 argued “…With TAR I can focus my search on a type of restaurant that I like more…” Participant 9 held “…situations where I am a foreign in a place and I like to get an opinion about …other people opinion about the local restaurants…” Participant 10 stating“…easy to use and is often reliable…” The participant 1 argued about the consultation with TripAdvisor that why the participant consults with TripAdvisor and what benefits the participant is getting from the consultation of Trip Advisor.

Situation of consulting the TripAdvisor

Similarly, the question on the situation in which the participant consult the site for travel advice attracted varying responses with majority indicating travelling, vacationing, looking for new restaurants, new places, exploring, looking for direction, showing friends around, places to eat either locally or in a different area. The participant consults with TripAdvisor in several situations mostly for travelling, as it provides the opportunity to participate to see the recommendation of the place where the participant could not have personal advice. Sometimes, participants look TripAdvisor before going on a trip. When participants tired of going to a similar place always and want to try something new, they consult with TripAdvisor restaurants and view what other users have suggested regarding location, prices, and quality. They go to see photos and ask the TripAdvisor who values the most in the current times. Participant 1 explained “…in my own country or neighbourhood when I am looking for places to eat…. travelling abroad I am used to explore the local cuisine for example I will look for Spanish food in Spain and explore local restaurants that I wouldn’t be able to find on my own perhaps…. Locally, I am looking for probably dinner… travelling abroad I am looking for breakfast, lunch, cafes, broad types of local cuising.” Participant 5 argued “…For the simple fact that I do not know the place where I am and there is no one who can recommend restaurants.” Participant 7 believed “…traveling or in my own city when I want to try new things.” Participant 9 indicated “…I consult the application when I'm traveling or when I want to discover new restaurants in my neighbourhood.” Participant 12 holding “…not familiar with maybe the food the cousin,…someone is visiting and I don’t feel they would like any of the options that I do know, if I need some ideas then I would first ask my friends but I would look at TAR as a resource ...” Other participants held that it helps to find precisely what they are looking for while giving them several options focused on their needs. With TripAdvisor, participant is capable of focusing the search on a type of restaurant that participants like more. Participant 2 hold “…for example more economical and with more focused options catering to my needs.”

Truthfulness of the website

The research also asked on whether the participants trust the TripAdvisor websites. The response varied from trusting to not trusting but others indicating although they trust the sites to provide accurate directions, they held reservation on some of the reviews. Participant 12 lamented, “I trust but I don’t trust all the people reviews or the algorithms maybe involve necessarily...” Another participant holding to trust the opinions of the people and prices given by the site Participant 12 indicating “What I trust the most about the page is the opinions of the people and the price oscillation that the werbsite gives you (£ cheap ££ medium price £££ expensive)” Similarly, another participant responded by stating, Participant 3 had the view “Yes, I trust the website because up to now, the times I have consulted it and read the opinions that appeared on it from the clients have adjusted well to the experience I have had.” For those who trusted the sites indicated reviews and opinions given by previous users as the major contributing factors, participant 4 stating, “…If a restaurant is good or bad, it is the people who will give their opinion… On aspects that inspires the most trust from the TripAdvisor website, participant 3 stated confidence given that the opinions are of clients and previous users rather than those of businesses who may be having publicity or marketing stands “…generates more confidence is what the rest of the clients think”

Important element of the website

Recommendations and comments

Visiting the site, most participants indicated checking the reviews and photos as of a given restaurant or place is the first and core things. According to participants, by reading the comments or seeing the photos taken of the places, gives a rough purview of the areas and setting expected services, views, and products prior to visiting. Participant 5 stating, “…most important thing of the page are two things in particular, the recommendations above all and the photos of the menu itself…”

Reviews and ratings

Participants held that important elements is checking the reviews and rating on the services or products pre-program one to the quality of services expected with 5 star meaning exceptional and satisfactorily services. Participant 1 asserting “…the first thing I look for is the amount of reviews …highest kind of reviews with 5 stars that’s the thing that most call my attention…” Participant 9 uttering “Ratings and reviews and the second will be as related to the occasion for visiting the restaurant…” Moreover, the number of reviews given holds an important element when checking on a restaurant in addition to the quality of reviews whether they are all positive, negative, and ratio of positive to negative reviews. For instance, the higher the reviews the better because of the difficult of replicating such high number. Participant 1 stating, “…I will look at the ones that have more reviews like 6000, because its difficult to replicate 6000 reviews….I look at how many excellent reviews they actually have… I like to see the bad comments that people have about restaurants, I don’t look at the excellent reviews to be honest, and to tell you the truth the bad comments often it doesn’t influence my final decision” Participant 12 holding, “…look at the ratings, especially the number of reviews, the rating of the reviews I mean is not the same…. If has 5stars with only 10 reviews, than other with 5 stars reviews with 2000 reviews…” Participant 9 asserting, “…I don’t want just a few reviews, I want a proper representative statistical sample…”

Prices and quality

The reviews checked are mostly associated to the prices, services quality, and food quality, participants stating, Participant 1 stated “…I look what those bad reviews are about, is about service? It’s about price? It’s about the food quality?” Participant 9 indicated “…the price came the second because I want to related the quality with the price and with the amount of money that I want to spend for the particular occasion for which I want to visit the restaurant.” While participant 12 had that “…look at the pictures…don’t look too bad, especially the pictures of the dishes and is also nice the price rating so that I know the range price …”

Photos and logos

In addition to photos of the places including food and services being offered, some participants indicated the travellers’ logos but being vigilant not those taken by management but rather clients and customers. Some other participants contending to findings opinions more reliable than pictures shared these sentiments. Participants 1 held that “…see the pictures they add, so as an additional thing I like to see is the additional customers pictures of food…” Participant 6 had a view that “…I can see genuine reviews from the customers, that I find more reliable that the pictures than they present…” Participant 10 stating “…see the classification system, location and price, and also photos, but I do not trust much of the photos, then see comments and ratings.” Another participant stated that in addition to checking opinions of other customers, s/he pay attention to photos of the dishes particularly ways in which they are decorated, plated, and aesthetic appearances. Participant 3 holding “…pay attention a lot and I am very attracted to the photos of the dishes, how they are decorated, plated and what they look like, and also in the opinions of other customers...” Additionally, some indicated location as an important factor checked.

Customers’ preference between traditional WOM and eWOM

Responses to this kind of questions were shared between the two, WOM, and eWOM, with main posting concerns of the eWOM relating to trust and personal opinions and perception on the services and product offered. Participants trusting traditional WOM argued they do not knowing those commenting online and rather have an opinion of someone close. Participant 10 perceiving, “…prefer traditional word of mouth, I do not trust completely from the electronic worth of mouth…” Participant 7 stating “…opinions of people who comment on Internet are people that I do not know or do not know what criteria they have, I do not know why they are commenting, however when I ask an acquaintance, friend or family member I know…” On the other hand, those trusting eWOM argued on the prospect of number of reviews and opinion indicating that with such number one cannot go wrong. Unlike traditional WOM where one gets reviews and opinion from a bunch of people whose tastes and perception may vary widely Participant 4 argued “…get to trust eWOM more because of the volume of opinions it contains, I think it is quite reliable. Sometimes traditional WOM may not match my tastes, so it depends on the person from whom it comes.”

Fundamental factors in making reservation

Although closeness to the restaurant has a significant influence, according to most participants, menus and prices plays a major role before placing a reservation. Mostly it is a trade-off between prices and quality. Where some stated Participant 1 perceive “…see the menu and the prices. And the location as well…” Whereas Participant held that “…sometimes I'm looking for quality without caring too much about the price and other times I'm focusing on the final price, that is, what I'm looking for are cheaper places.” Participant 8 stating, “…depending on what are we looking for that day, if we are looking for something special, or just a quick meal, or some specific type of food…” In addition to location closeness to the participant, some indicated ranking position Participant 5 pointed that “…with the photos and the position in the ranking I make the final decision…” Other participants noting reviews and opinions of others a core to their decision making Participant 6 arguing, “…opinions over specific inputs, people that have had good experience over a place, no just one person …I prefer a range of reviews.” Participant 8 lamenting, “…definitely the reviews the most important in consideration with the map…”

Influence of TripAdvisor on choosing a restaurant

Majority the participant noted strong influence of the TripAdvisor on choosing the restaurant to visit with participant 3 stating, “Yes of course, that is the reason why I use TAR to get to know new places” The reason given was in line with exploring new places, things, and experiences other than conventional restaurants they are used to visiting or when in visiting new areas. Participant 4 holding “…because many times there is a restaurant … spectacular meal that is incredible, but since it has no name you do not know…” Participant 12 argued that “…whole point of the website is discover new places that you may not know…” Participant 11 describing “…I like it because I can try different things…such as the type of food …” Nevertheless, some indicated searching for specific areas and restaurant with having preferences already in mind hence downplaying the influence of the website Participant 9 argued “…I don’t know if encouragement is the right word to me here, I would actively look for specific restaurants that I have in mind so, if the amount of information and the quality of information about a particular restaurant is efficient I can base on this information, I can form my own opinion.”

Visit of less know restaurant since using TAR

Most participants held to be visiting restaurant considered less known to them and others since using site. However, for some, fear of going to places they are not aware of the services being offered holds a major concern of using the site. Participant 2 stating “…Yes…especially as a tourist. Before, I was more afraid of going to places I did not know …” While participant 5 held that “…it gives the opportunity to go to restaurants that are perhaps not as well-known as restaurant chains, and that they are very good and even much better.…” Similarly, participant 9 pointed “…yes because if I am in some place I would always looking for something specific to the place, local, non-chain this would be always my preference and TAR gives me some good opinions…” Nevertheless, participants who did not use the site that frequently had contrary opinion where participant 7 stating “…Well I do not know, I would say no because basically I do not use it TAR too much and well I…” While, participant 10 holding that “The truth is that I do not usually go to restaurant chains because TAR offers me quality and reliable restaurants”

Alternative service to TripAdvisor

The alternative services of searching and reserving restaurant services ranged from google search for service such as ‘top restaurants’ and ’10 best restaurants’ in a given region, use of blogs, travel magazines, and . Participants 9 indicating “…Google and simply type some questions about ‘10 best restaurants’…” Some participants stated that in absence of TripAdvisor they could use travelers’ blogs and social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook though pointing out concerns of biasness and opinionated views Participant 5 holding “…blogs from people who have travelled and made posts…” Whereas participant 2 perceiving, “…always trusted Instagram, although from this website the only thing you see are photos...” Others stated that in addition to google and internet searching, they would rely on traditional WOM, Google maps, and occasionally such sites as ‘Yelp’ and ‘Lonely Planet’ Participant 6 held “I would use traditional WOM, Google reviews, and very occasionally “Yelp”” Participant 11 saying “The Google maps tells you the closest places and you can see even some opinions but not as many as in TAR of course” Participant 2 stated “…I trusted and I still trust Lonely Planet, because I think it makes the most adapted recommendations…” Despite most of the participant indicating having alternatives in the event of absence of TAR, most also noted lack of reviews and pictures to accompany the restaurant given by such options as Google maps and Blogs made the site as well as driven be personal opinions and perception, which might be widely subjective. Participant 9 argued “…Google gives me I would accept it, but Google is more generic...” Additionally, participant 5 held, “…but of course that blog will always be the personal opinion of a single person…”

Managers responding to comments and reviews

Participants indicated the importance of responding to comments whether positive or negative although some saying it would be viable responding to all reviews and opinion left by clients. According to participants, responding to consumers’ reviews irrespective of being positive or negative by managers may go a long way in boosting the business image. On consumers’ point of view, it shows that some is there to listen to their concerns and ready to address them. Some participants contended that because of tome constraints it would be better for management to have a generic responses rather than personalized although it would not addressing individual different concerns. According to responses, responding to negative comments allows managers to build on constructive criticisms as well as interaction with customers, this would have a positive effect to consumers. Participant 13 stated “I believe that it is important to respond,...In general I like to be answered, whether my opinion is positive or negative. I think managers should always answer comments.” Participant 12 deducing “…whether in a positive or negative sense I think it is very nice see that somebody cares…” Participant 6 stating“…I think is important for the manager interact with the customers so they can learn from a constructive criticism.” Some held that it is important to respond particularly to the complaints but not necessarily all comments. Participant 3 asserting, “…I think it is essential that you answer the complaints if you find any complaints from users…” Other participants arguing that it is not necessary because the responses normally are excuses for bad services rather than working on solving the problems hence having less concern on whether they respond or not. Participant 4 was opinion that it was not important stating “…do not consider it very important because in reality if it is a negative thing they will never admit it, they will always be excuses, neither for me the opinion of the manager of a restaurant is not valid, I do not care if you apologize…”

Falling into ‘tourist traps’

According to the respondents, it is very easy to fall into tourist traps because of the positive reviews given by others, which actually are tourist traps. As such, most did not feel full confident of being trapped by such comments Participant 6 holding, “Yes, especially when I don’t have travel guides I love to use it.” Contrarily, participant 12 argued, “I don’t think TAR guaranties in anyway don’t fall into tourist traps because tourist traps would also potentially be there and the people who review them positively maybe don’t know those are tourist traps and they are not quite familiar with the food prices and the place that are visiting… So I don’t fell 100% confident but I felt that is less likely fall obviously” As pointed by participant 10, most of the restaurants targeting foreigners have comments and reviews tailored towards capturing their attention, therefore it very easy to be trapped when travelling into foreign lands. “Sometimes you cannot avoid falling into tourist traps. The restaurants that are highly promoted only for foreigners and that focus only on them are not usually reliable.” Participant 9 responded to the question by arguing that going through vast reviews and opinions from the other customers on TAR reduces the chances falling into the trap. The website being updated regularly and constantly by customers, it is hard to be cheated because in the event where one receives services below their expectation it very easy to point out and leave comment on the site. “…this tool with a huge number of opinions I can form my own opinion… But I don’t want to fall into this internet trap just by blindly accepting what people are saying, I would do some analysis I would compare the opinions I would go to the website of the restaurant…” Participant 2 held similar line of thinking, stating “…if there has been any case in which someone has been cheated then they will leave negative comments quickly. If there is a trap for tourists then you have looked at the website before to avoid falling into the trap…”

Ways in which websites can improve

Most of the responses aligned on the prospect of basing on consumer comments and experiences as well as recommendation in order to heighten the services offered. Hence, some recommended having a system that verifies the comments on reliability, relevance, and truthfulness as well as fluidity of the comments updating constantly to meet present services offered. Participant 7 highlighting “…some system that verifies the comments of the users, to confirm that the people who actually commented went to that site…” “…The possibility of a more fluid feedback from clients, and complaints and managers or restaurant owners.” Although some indicated being quite satisfied by the information and accessibility of the website stating having no idea on ways to change it. Participant 12 stated “…has everything pretty much that you can think about you can need for something like this…” Participant 9 outlining that “…think that I have enough information that seems to be quite professional they have a system to contribute…” Participant 5 argued on the prospect of letting restaurant to put their updated menus on the website so that consumers can know whether they will findings what they want in advance not being told at the restaurant the products or services are out-of-order. Stating, “…all the restaurants had the obligation to put their menus online with the prices and everything updated so we could know if you are really going to find something that you like in that restaurant even though you have many…”

Chapter 6: Discussion

It is observed that profitability of the food and beverage industry is increased with the eWOM as the TripAdvisor give comments and suggests on the quality of food and beverage to their customers and utilizes their services (Israeli et al, 2017). It is also observed from the findings of the previous literature that eWOM of TripAdvisor is assisting new companies and little known companies of the food and beverage industry to build consumer trust through the information and useful details that users shares on websites and TripAdvisor share on its site (Xu et al, 2016). The participants argued that they trust eWOM to visit TripAdvisor websites and to choose the options of food and beverage that TripAdvisor decides for themselves (Floh et al, 2013). TripAdvisor is a website that recommends its users on everything connected to travelling (Israeli et al., 2017). Particularly regarding hotels, activities, and restaurants around the globe. The accomplishment of the platform has led to its development into twenty-seven countries (Purnawirawan et al., 2012). The revenue that the webpage accepts is subordinate to promotional specifically travels agencies with associations to their pages where consumers can create difficulties (Xu et al, 2016). The TripAdvisor has an excellent charm for travelling agencies as it obtains more than forty million people a year observing for information about its lists, fascinations, hotels and restaurants (Tiago et al, 2015). These features are making this website diverse from the old travel conductors as all evidences and information come from previous travellers, separate from the earlier conductors (Yang et al, 2017). It is argued that eWOM is altering the manner in which individuals consume and go to restaurants by democratizing the marketplace and inspiring the low-cost of local eating place through the promotion of experiences of their consumers (Israeli et al, 2017). On the other hand, consumers are maybe decreasing the occurrence with which they do to a large chain of famous eating place and utilizing beverage and food product of several well-known companies as a consequence of trusting TripAdvisor (Xu et al, 2016). The eWOM is playing a great role in improving the profitability and reputation of the food and beverage companies (Yang et al., 2017). The eWOM of TripAdvisor is helping the food and beverage industry to increase their sales, as the consumers are familiar about the highest quality brands of food and beverage industry (Floh et al, 2013). The eWOM communication of TripAdvisor may increase the knowledge of consumers in the recent times as these knowledge sharing extending beyond a potential consumers personal friends and family network on the basis of which different friends and family of the consumer prefer to choose that food and beverage that is favoured by the TripAdvisor (Kim et al, 2016). The responses and reviews of TripAdvisor as eWOM may update the consumer regarding the latest food and beverage companies and may convince the consumers to prefer the company or not (Tiago et al, 2015). It is important that through the technique of eWOM, the popularity of food and beverage industry continue to increase ways in which managers and marketers in the industry react to the reviews posted on the forums of TripAdvisor (Jalilvand et al, 2012). The customers consider the importance of the eWOM of TripAdvisor that they prefer to choose those food and beverage companies, which are suggested by TripAdvisor (Tiago et al., 2015).

The participants to this study argued that they see and pay attention to the attracted photos of the dishes that in what way they are decorated, plated and what they look like and also the comments and opinion of other consumers (Israeli et al, 2017). The participants may give positive comments, negative comments and share photos regarding their visits on different places such as hotels and restaurants, which was suggested by TripAdvisor (Cantallops et al, 2014). The TripAdvisor is the biggest travel community of the globe, thriving place that obtains regular assistances and a website in which everybody can contribute, involvement their experience and attitudes with the entire world and assisting the development and realisation of journeys for its users (Floh et al, 2013). TripAdvisor has recognized itself as one of the most effective social and profitable websites. The website is taking benefit of particular aspects such as technology, opportunities, as well as new patterns of travelling (Purnawirawan et al, 2012). As the TripAdvisor meets the conditions of certainty, controllability, and order, it is considered as the representation of rationality and truth. TripAdvisor is operational as a collective intelligence to evaluate the excellence of online restaurants, however, some consumers are observing for the most well-known residences others are more concerned regarding such possessions like menu prices (Kim et al, 2016).

Chapter 6: Conclusion and recommendation

Conclusion

The TripAdvisor is the biggest travel community of the globe, thriving place that obtains regular assistances and a website in which everybody can contribute, involvement their experience and attitudes with the entire world and assisting the development and realization of journeys for its users. TripAdvisor has recognized itself as one of the most effective social and profitable websites. The website is taking benefit of particular aspects such as technology, opportunities as well as new patterns of travelling. As the TripAdvisor meets the conditions of certainty, controllability and order, it is considered as the representation of rationality and truth. TripAdvisor is operational as a collective intelligence to evaluate the excellence of online restaurants however some consumers are observing for the most well-known residences others are more concerned regarding such possessions like menu prices. It is observed that there is the rising concentration of businesspersons in this innovative arrangement of purchase based on commendations as eWOM is the original form of bi-directional communication only likely through the internet where businesspersons have the prospect to reply, and other users can read all these opinions and experiences. It is argued that the trust plays a fundamental role in e-commerce business where users view all their risk in their transactions which is why the absence of trust in the area can be one of the biggest reason for an online business to fail. The uncertainty of consumers towards online businesses intensifies if they also deal with new products and services. The TripAdvisor obtains more than forty million people the prospective consumer per month. It is the accomplishment which is partially because of the formation of the faith, and its whole model is constructed on the commercialization of faith. The eWOM communication of TripAdvisor may increase the knowledge of consumers in the recent times as this knowledge sharing extending beyond a potential consumer's personal friends and family network on the basis of which different friends and family of the consumer prefer to choose that food and beverage that is favoured by the TripAdvisor. The responses and reviews of TripAdvisor as eWOM may update the consumer regarding the latest food and beverage companies and may convince the consumers to prefer the company or not. It is important that through the technique of eWOM, the popularity of the food and beverage industry continues to increase that managers and marketers in the industry react to the reviews posted on the forums of TripAdvisor. The customers consider the importance of the eWOM of TripAdvisor that they prefer to choose those food and beverage companies which are suggested by TripAdvisor. The TripAdvisor meets the conditions of certainty, controllability and order; it is considered as the representation of rationality and truth. TripAdvisor is working as a collective intelligence to measure the quality of restaurants online; however, some consumers are looking for the most famous places others are more interested in such things as menu prices.

It is argued that with the increasing obtainability and admiration of web-based opinion stages, online product appraisals are now a developing market occurrence that is playing a growing significant part in customer buying verdicts. The consumer produced rating regarding the excellence of food, atmosphere and services of the restaurants and the volume of online evaluations of the consumers are surely interlinked with the operational admiration of the restaurants. It is observed that profitability of the food and beverage industry is increased with the eWOM of the TripAdvisor restaurants as the TripAdvisor give comments and suggest the excellent food and beverage companies to their customers and also utilizes their services. It is also observed from the findings of the previous literature that eWOM of TripAdvisor is assisting new companies and unknown companies of the food and beverage industry to build trust on the customers through the information and useful details that users shares on websites and TripAdvisor share on its site. Evidently, the findings of this study highlighted the influences held by the TripAdvisor in shaping the consumers decisions on the restaurant to visit. In a contemporary business environment that extensively driven by technological advancement and social media where customers and potential consumers can access and review information on a given business and eventually influences their opinions, perception, and importantly whether to visit or no, business reputation and image rooted on products offered should be highly prioritized. Presently, especially in services industry such as restaurant business, customers take photos of their food and beverages share through such platforms as TripAdvisor and social media like Facebook and Instagram accompanying with personal reviews and opinions and whether they recommend visiting the said place or not. This greatly influence the general market and financial performance because consumer-driven market occasional tend to outperform management-oriented because of the trust by potential consumers on the opinions, reviews, comments, photos, experiences, and recommendations of individuals who have used the services and products more than the provider.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended to the future researchers to do a more in-depth review of previous literature as due to time constraints the researcher was incapable of doing thorough research regarding how and why eWOM of TripAdvisor restaurants could impact the buying objective in the food and beverage industry. The future researchers are also recommended to utilize regression analysis to evaluate the association between eWOM of TripAdvisor and buying objective in the food and beverage industry. Due to time constraints, the researcher has utilized small sample size of the participants, therefore to generalize the research much more effective it is recommended to future research to use a large sample size of the participants It is suggested to the future researcher to utilize more journal article, educational websites and reports to analyze the literature reviews and including more details research related to the research problems. It is argued that more methodological work is needed on robustly attaining the influence and results of the research study in analyzing including future evaluation and exploration of impact when the researcher is going towards more in-depth research (Choovanichchannon, 2015, p. 234). Considering the descriptive statistics, the researcher is required to do frequency distribution and analyzing means along with standard deviation as well as variance, range, kurtosis and skewness of the research data (Cantallops et al, 2014).

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