Travel Meta-Search: Opportunity or Threat?

Abstract

In the world of travel distribution, the Internet serves as a disruptive technology. It gives rise to new tools and methods to transact business and provides consumers with greater access to information and better means to comparison shop. One such set of tools gaining in popularity is travel (meta) search engines, which simultaneously search multiple travel-related websites for travel accommodations, availability, and pricing information and then link consumers with travel suppliers or online travel agencies (OTAs) to finalize the booking process. These tools hold great potential to further alter the distribution landscape and shift the balance of power in the relationship between buyers and travel suppliers. Using institutional theory and coercive isomorphism as the theoretical underpinnings, this multiple case study explores the impact of travel meta-search engines and the potential strategic threats they introduce. It attempts to understand the phenomenon of travel search engines looking from the perspectives of online travel agencies.