Patterns of Information Services on Hotel Websites: The Case of Greece

Abstract

Information services provided through the web allow hotels to improve communication, marketing and e-commerce. This paper alms to identify common hoteliers' practices on their websites' design. It argues that hoteliers provide groups of relative information services and not isolated or case services. Using an extended web survey, this study identifies which information services are offered through Greek hotel websites. While recording users' attitudes, this study estimates the significance rates of the information services. Multidimensional scaling followed by Hierarchical Cluster Analysis produced clusters of information services, which were studied according to their size, occurrence and significance. Greek hotel websites are primarily designed so as to be electronic brochures and, while they generally satisfy most of the users' needs, they partly serve as online transactions media, a function considered significant by users.