@article{stphane2018online,
  title = {Online Review Ratings and the Impact on the Number of Visits to a Tourist and Cultural Attraction: the case of the Loire Valley and TripAdvisor},
  author = {Bourliataux-Lajoinie Stéphane and Maubisson Laurent},
  year = 2018,
  url = {https://ibimapublishing.com/articles/JISNVC/2018/915203/},
  journal = {Journal of Internet Social Networking and Virtual Communities},
  volume = 2018,
  pages = 18,
  doi = 10.5171/2018.915203,
  abstract = {Do TripAdvisor ratings affect the choice of attraction visited? Is there a link between these ratings and browsing experience on the tourist attraction’s web page? The first part of this research programme focuses on precisely measuring web and physical visits of 104 large tourist attractions in the Loire Valley. Each attraction has over 10,000 annual visits and some exceed 50,000. A study was made of all the attractions, and then according to the size and type of tourist attraction. The results are counter-intuitive. TripAdvisor ratings do not seem to have a significant impact on the choice of the site visited.  A number of suggestions are put forward as to the reason for this. First, an attraction’s size impacts the number of ratings and therefore the level of risk for a consumer. Further, some large Loire Valley sites have a very important “natural attraction” (the Chateau de Chambor, for example), which means they are able to attract a large number of visitors irrespective of their TripAdvisor rating. This makes them must-see tourist attractions in central France. Finally, this study did not take into account the role of tour operators. Many tour operators offer package tours to central France, their itinerary is pre-planned and the traveller is unable to alter these. The first part of the research ends with a recommendation that further study be carried out.
 },
  keywords = {online reviews, TripAdvisor, tourism, visits},
  note = Article ID: 915203
}