The Influence of Authenticity of Online Reviews on Trust Formation among Travelers

Abstract

Travelers have increasingly used mega review sites as an information source during the decision-making processes. This study focuses on the significant role of the authenticity of online reviews on mega review sites in formulating travelers’ behavioral intention as well as trust toward both websites and their service (i.e., destinations). Extending trust transfer theory, this study aims to formulate a research model and investigate associations among three aspects of trust (i.e., cognitive and affective trust toward mega review sites and trust toward destinations the websites recommend) to predict travelers’ behavioral intention (e.g., purchase). The empirical results indicate the significant roles of perceived authenticity of online comments and trust in the context of online tourism. This study provides some implications for online review management among website administrators.