Determinants of Chinese hotel customers’ e-satisfaction and purchase intentions

Information technology, especially the Internet, has transformed the modern business environment. China's hotel industry has not been exempted from this trend. Despite the growing body of literature dealing with online consumer behavior, previous research has focused on Western customers and cultures rather than upon China, the world's largest emerging tourism market. The purposes of this study are to identify the determinants affecting Chinese hotel customers’ online reservation intentions and to assess their satisfaction with online hotel reservation. Participants in the study were Chinese hotel customers staying at 12 sampled hotels in Beijing, PR China in March 2003. The results indicate that Chinese hotel customers are less likely to rely on hotel branding and price benefits and more likely to rely on client information needs and online security as they become more experienced Internet users.