Autor/a

David Boto García (Universidad de Oviedo)

Coautor/es

Emma Zapico Fernández (Universidad de Oviedo)

Marta González Escalonilla (Universidad de Oviedo)

José Baños Pino (Universidad de Oviedo)

In this article, we analyze tourists’ preferences on how to book accommodation in hotels using a sample of tourists visiting Asturias (Spain) between 2010 and 2016. We estimate a Multinomial Logit model to explain the choice among the following five alternatives: telephone, the internet, travel agencies and destination call centers, through the company in which the tourist works or association to which he belongs, or through the intermediation of friends and family. In addition to analyzing the sociodemographic profile that characterizes each alternative, we examine how the total number of overnight stays, price sensitivity or the quality of the selected hotel affects the chosen booking alternative. Likewise, the possible change in preferences over time is also taken into account. Our results indicate that booking by internet is closely related to the search for information, both online and through tourist offices or brochures. This suggests that the tourist who books by internet is more active and he likes to be informed by different channels to have the maximum information at the time of choosing. By contrast, the traditional tourist opts for the classic ways of booking such as the telephone or the travel agency and do not get too involved in looking for external information.

Palabras clave: booking mode, Multinomial Logit model