Ağ-tabanlı seyahat aracıları sadakati: Güven ve memnuniyetin etkileri

Information technology has significantly influenced and changed travel and tourism. Tourism industry has confronted with different technological developments both bringing new oportunities and challanges since Computer Reservation Systems (CRS) during 1960s, Global Distribution Systems (GDS) during 1980s and Internet spread in the beginning of 1990s. The formation of an original and high-powered distribution and communication channel (Internet) was one of the most important transformations in that process which has filled up the gap between customers and travel intermediaries. Possitive outcomes of that new distribution channel for web-based travel intermediaries are to create a new way to reach their costumers and make more profits. However, internet also has negative effects for web-based travel intermediaries such as online pricing transparency, price competition and decreasing customer loyalty. It is crucial to make customers loyal for all companies under intensive competition conditions. Because companies can not survive without creating a loyal customer source. In this case, it has become more important to understand the mechanisms creating loyal customers. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to contribute to understanding how customer loyalty is developed in web-based travel intermediaries. Hypotheses were tested in two stages. In first stage, it was explored the degree of importance of trust, besides satisfaction accepted as very strong predictor, when it is associated with loyalty. In the second stage, it was investigated the effects of the factors that predict the trust, according to their hierarchical levels. The data were collected with face-to-face survey method and conducted in February-April period of 2018 among the tourists visiting Istanbul through web-based travel intermediaries in Istanbul. The convenience sampling method was used in this study. As statistical techniques, multiple linear regression was used in the first stage and it has been found that trust effects loyalty significantly and possitively, besides satisfaction and hierarchical linear regression was used in the second stage and according to findings; four models emerged. All models were found to be significant and security protection was the most important independent variable that predicts the trust in web-based travel intermediaries among other independent variables such as self-efficacy, privacy concern, system reliability, third party seal.