The influence of distribution intermediaries of tourist products in the decision-making process of hosting services by the consumer

Abstract

This article discusses the complex process of consumer decision in hosting services related to the tourism distribution channels. The research is aimed at describing the level of influence of the distribution intermediaries of tourism products on the choice of means of accommodation by the consumer. The data was collected through application of questionnaires to three hundred Brazilian tourists, staying in nineteen hotels in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The results characterized the profile of consumers of hosting services and identified the distribution channels used by them. It was also found the influence of intermediaries on consumers when choosing means of accommodation, trying to identify causal relationship between this influence and the consumer characteristics. It was observed that the information about lodging facilities available on the Internet reduce the likelihood that this influence is exercised; however, consumers consider this information supplementary, and not a substitute to the one provided by intermediaries.