Achieving Superior Customer Experience: An Investigation of Multichannel Choices in the Travel and Tourism Industry of an Emerging Market

Abstract

The travel and tourism industry is seeking to achieve consistently seamless experience for customers to stay connected with brands. This study offers an analysis of the interconnected customer experience journey based on an understanding of multichannel behavior. In particular, it identifies the psychographic and sociodemographic factors associated with three segments of multichannel consumers: multichannel shoppers, multichannel searchers, and store-prone shoppers of the travel and tourism industry. Data from a sample of 315 customers from the travel and tourism sector in Egypt were collected and analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. The findings indicate that psychographic variables (shopping enjoyment, convenience seeking, customer innovativeness, perceived risk, Internet experience, frequency of travel, and channel experience) and some demographic variables (i.e., age and income) distinguish among the categories of multichannel shoppers, multichannel searchers, and store-prone shoppers. The study concludes with useful insights into the potential for developing multichannel strategy to achieve superior customer experience.