Travel Industry: Investigating App Influence on Consumer Decisions

This report investigates the impact of smartphone applications on consumer decision-making within the travel industry, focusing on how these apps have transformed the tourism sector. It examines the shift in marketing strategies due to digital technology, highlighting the Kayak app as a case study. The research explores the advantages and disadvantages of using travel apps, including their role in providing information, personalized offers, and potential security risks. A critical review of existing literature reveals how mobile technology influences consumer cognition and creates a digital identity for travelers. The report also addresses research questions concerning the diversity brought by apps, consumer dependency on online platforms, and the overall influence of these applications on the tourism sector, ultimately aiming to understand whether these apps significantly impact consumer travel decisions. Desklib provides access to this and other solved assignments.

Influence of Smart phone applications on
decision making of the consumers in travel
industry
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Table of Contents
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................4
1.1. Formulate and record possible research project outline specifications....................................4
1.2. Identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project selection.......................5
1.3. Undertake a critical review of key references..........................................................................7
1.4. Produce a research project specification.................................................................................10
1.5. Provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research specification................12
2.1. Match resources efficiently to the research question or hypothesis.......................................14
2.2. Undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification
and procedures...............................................................................................................................16
2.3 Record and collate relevant data where appropriate................................................................19
Task 3.............................................................................................................................................21
3.1. Use appropriate ‘research evaluation techniques’. Which types of evaluation (formative or
summative) is more appropriate for your research and Why?.......................................................21
3.2. Interpret and analyze the results in terms of the original research specification question
investigation analysis.....................................................................................................................22
3.3. Make recommendations and justify areas for further consideration......................................32
4.1. Use an agreed format and appropriate media to present the outcomes of the research to an
audience.........................................................................................................................................33
Reference List................................................................................................................................34
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Task 1
1.1. Formulate and record possible research project outline specifications
Aims of the research
In this research project, it aims to note down relevant facts that are helpful in understanding the
impact of smart phones application in decision making of a consumer. The project tries to
look upon how these applications are used widely to bring a change in travels and tourism sector.
Research objectives
The researcher through this particular project tries to look after certain necessary junctures which
are required to make a better execution of the research work
 To review which kind of literary works are produced about apps and smart phones
 To understand the relation between technology and customer service
 To analyze the importance of incorporating technology in tourism industry
 To make necessary survey to understand the customer’s requirements and make a
recommendations to improve customer’s experience with Kayak, the renowned mobile
application for travel purpose
Research Rationale
This research project aims to look after how the applications of smart phones are using widely to
influence the decision making of a customer. It has been critically analyzed how the smart
phones applications are bringing a wide range of varieties to experience for the customers in
tourism sector. This platform of technology is used to make a promotion of the services that are
provided by any applications. It has been explored that different mobile applications bring
different forms of offers and discounts to grab the attention of the consumers. In this way, it is
analyzed how the digital technology is inflicting the mode of competition among the existing
smart phones applications (Wang et al., 2012). In such competition, the consumers get wide
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ranges of choices to experience. It can be critically analyzed how these smart phone applications
are trying to build up own media ecology within the tourism sector, and to bring innovative
marketing strategies for the organization. Each mobile application wants to implement such
strategies for the customers so that it brings different kinds of experiences by undertaking such
options.
Through these mobile applications, the customers get a wide idea about the hotels according to
budget as well as ratings. It also provides the customer all the necessary amenities required
during the stay at the hotels. With the globalization, the customers try to take the optimum use of
the technology to avail the best deal for the tours. It has been surveyed that mobile applications
for travel and tourism industry generate revenues for a large amount. The ecommerce business
for tourism sector has been one of the popular among the consumers. For a mobile click, it will
be helpful for the consumer to access the necessary information required for any desired
destination.
Research Questions
The researcher in this project has made such questions that can be used in better understanding of
tourism industry
 How the smart phone applications are bringing diversity in tourism industry?
 Why the consumers are solely dependent on the online applications for getting better
opportunities for travelling?
 How these applications are influencing the tendency of the tourism sector?
 What are the necessary pros and cons of using such applications?
 Is these applications are great enough to influence the decision making of the consumer?
1.2. Identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project selection
Smart phone applications are widely used by any organization in tourism industry. The sole
reason for using such applications is to find out how the consumers are dependent on the digital
platform in making any kind of decision for travelling. These applications try to analyse the
necessary online biometric of the consumer to get an idea about the likes and dislikes. With the
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onset of digital technology, the tourism industry has witnessed a wide change in marketing
strategies. Kayak has been one of the most usable applications used by the consumers to get the
best available offers in flights, hotels, or in accessing any other necessary facilities. This kind of
application gives an opportunity to the customers to avail wide ranges of offers and discounts.
With this kind of mobile application, the tourism industry has introduced this feature of mobility
in travel industry (Goodall et al., 2017). Travel industry is one of the booming industries in
today’s world, trying to incorporate all those innovative marketing strategies required to enhance
customer’s experience. Kayak has been one of the usable applications among the tourists,
because of it comprehensive nature of planning structure for the consumers. In some cases it is
noticed Kayak has never directed the users to any meta-search engines, therefore making the
customers used those available information from the company’s own website. With the
advancement of digital technology, it is helpful for the application to take such marketing
strategies, which can grab attention of the consumers easily. Digital media platform has become
an integral part of the tourism industry and it brings innovative impacts on the decision making
of the consumers.
Merits of using smart phone applications in tourism industry
Mobile phone applications for tourism purposes are widely used by the customers for availing
the best offer for any desired destination. This platform allows the user to get wide varieties of
information, and access it irrespective of any geographical territory. This saves the time of the
consumer, as it is the hub of information regarding travel planning. It gives a wide idea about the
place, along with the necessary direction to the destination. This kind of search is time effective,
and it requires fewer efforts from the customer’s end.
Kayak, as the application gives the necessary information about any mode of transportation to
complete the journey. It has made a wide collaboration with flights, bus, and trains to make the
travelling easy for the consumers. In the newly added services, the app allows the customers to
take bus services at cheaper rates.
This application has tried to incorporate all the necessary details of the customers in the portal
with complete security. The application gets the basic information about the customers by
accessing the social media platforms. By accessing such social media platform this application
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can predict the requirements of the consumers, and suggest it according to that. This advanced
digital technology runs through a system, which keeps a constant monitoring of the consumers
understanding all the required details of the consumers.
It helps the user to find out the existing offers and discounts available in different applications
and get the best offer for the travel purposes. Usually this kind of application consumes less time,
and it helps the users to go through all the applications available for tourism industry to make a
well proof plan for the upcoming vacation. These applications provide necessary information to
the users in a single platform by accumulating necessary data from other websites. With the help
of the customer’s review, it is helpful for the customers to make necessary decision also.
Demerits of using smart phone applications in tourism industry
In some mobile applications it is noticed that how the digital technology try to modify the
requirements of the customers in one way or the other. There are places where the mobile
applications cannot be accessed properly due to weak GPS connections. Then it will be difficult
for the consumers to find out the right options for the travel purposes.
Usually in these applications, a pool of data remain encrypted, if any kind of hacking appears in
the application it will make the customer’s security as vulnerable one. Usually it is the sole
responsibility of the application developer to secure all the intricate details of the consumers.
In some cases, the mobile applications do not satisfy the necessary requirements of the
consumers, which lead into a breach of trust between the organization and the consumer. This
leads into a different kind of swindle. In some cases, it is noticed that the customers get exploited
monetarily, and mentally.
1.3. Undertake a critical review of key references
Since last, few decades it is noticed that, the advancement of digital technology has introduced
multi-media platforms, which incorporates different technological features, enhance tourism
industry. Cloud computing with its new features can easily predict the demographical structure
as well as it helps in getting a digital mapping to the organization. Digital mapping is a kind of
digital footprint of the consumers to give the details of the requirements. This kind of mobile
technology helps in influencing the growth of data sharing about the consumers to the
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organization. The advantage of using mobile technology has made travelling more users friendly.
This industry has affected greatly on the global economy. With the onset of the digital
technology, the array of communication has changed a lot. The consumers can easily travel
anywhere in the world by taking the help from the applications. This kind of mobile application
has altered the cognition of the consumers (Kennedy-Eden and Gretzel, 2012). This user
interface (UI) has been designed in such a way that it aggregates data about the users from real
time. This technology helps the application to make a prediction about the requirements of the
consumers.
A new dynamics of time and space can easily be defined with this technological advancement.
This mapping technology assists the traveller to have a clear idea about the location of the
destination by using GPS. The smart phones application actually has tried to influence the
dynamics of consumer’s mindscape with the help of the mobile technology (Dickinson et al.,
2014). This technology has diminished the physical entity of an individual to a mere digital
identity. A person’s digital identity has become more important here in this industry to analyze
clearly the requirements of the consumers.
It has become a more dynamic platform for the users to access information. It includes a social
experience for the users to get by using such technologies. Mobile applications for tourism
industry have been downloaded the most by the consumers. Most of the people use mobile apps
in planning the travels to the desired destinations. Previously it is mostly the physical
appearances of the tourist guides, which help in planning the tour for the consumers (Xiang et
al., 2015). With the digital technology, the consumers can plan the entire trip with a click on a
mobile phone. These kinds of apps have introduced more potential consumers to the
applications. As it is discussed, earlier these apps are actually making the users comfortable with
the dynamics of digital form. It provides wide varieties about the hotels, transports and other
basic amenities to the consumers. As it is an open platform, it helps the consumer to select
among the given choices that is favourable to own choices. Travellers can easily get information
about the required destination from other user’s reviews. There are thousands of applications that
are developed to make the tourism sector more easily available among the consumers.
Nevertheless, the popularity of these apps depends on the discounts and offers given to the users.
There are many factors influencing the travel industry, the applications should make a proper
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scanning of those factors before taking any strategies. The digital technology has helped this
booming industry to take innovative strategies to improve the customer’s experience with the
organization (Teixeira et al., 2012).
If any mobile application takes exclusive offers in comparison to other mobile applications, it
will retain those valuable consumers by offering the major discounts. For increasing the digital
appearance of any industry, it is necessary to connect with the consumer with the help of
technology. Internet marketing has introduced such strategies, which can easily grab the attention
of the consumers. Promotion of any mobile application can be done in different forms like SEO,
Google Adwords, or Payperclick. Consumers are the biggest stakeholders of this industry so any
application developer should think both the merits and demerits of such application. The major
demerits of this kind of mobile application are if the consumers never get required services
(Chen and Tsou, 2012). In many cases due to breach of trust the applications deceit the
consumer’s trust. This can include a major financial loss for the consumers. Before taking any
services from this kind of mobile application, the consumer should make a proper detailed study
about the apps as well as how these apps are bringing any positive changes in the global
economy for tourism sector.
The consumer never needs to carry hard cash during travel, because most of the transaction has
been done through the application. Even a foreign land has never been a mystery to the traveller
because of the technology has made it easy for the users to get a proper idea about the desired
destination. In another way the rise of this apps has actually reduced the use of paper, because
the traveller can carry the details of hotel reservation or flight tickets as soft copy.
Tourism sector has been one of the popular industries, which has made larger contribution in
global economy. The traveller takes the vacation on leisure time, but the planning has been done
over a period. In such planning, the main concern is about the best availability of the discounts
and offers to the desired location. In comparison to physical guidance in tourism sector, the
digital technology is offering the consumers to make that comparison to understand the available
existing offers. Previously the GPS has not developed so much that it provides a clear idea of the
location of the destination. Now this application can give the tourists that idea about the location
as well as other necessary details about the destination. As compared to the old technologies
applied to the travel industry, it is helpful for the users to make a physical contact with the tourist
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guides. However, with the upcoming of the digital technology, the consumers do not have to
depend on such assisted services, as GPS can easily give a detailed idea about the location
(Standing et al., 2014). With such smart technological advancement, it is helpful for any
application to reach out potential consumers. This kind of mobile application can be accessed
globally so it is helpful for the consumers also to take necessary decisions after going through
detailed reviews of other customers. Now the mobile developers of these applications focus
mostly on the requirements of the customers. The tourism sector has undergone a radical change
with influence of digital technology. Mostly the innovative marketing strategies are taken after a
detailed market research. With the help of help of social media platform, these mobile
applications can easily access the details of the consumers and make a silhouette of the consumer
as per requirement. The new age digital users for better communication have adopted this mobile
technology (Mihajlovic, 2012). The consumers get back to this information because it provides
authentic idea about the location along with the expenditure. This service of mobile application
is not tangible platform for the consumers, so it includes this idea of getting the authentic
services from the application. Usually the application tries to provide the best service to retain
the consumer.
1.4. Produce a research project specification
The main objective to use research philosophy is to find the clear objective of the research work.
It also brings effective result in executing the research project on stipulated time. The research
project is objected to find out how the authentic results are analyzed critically to understand the
impacts of mobile phone applications on tourism industry.
The three main research philosophies have been used for understanding the schema of the
research project are Positivism, Interpretivisim and Realism. Mostly in this research project,
researcher uses the positivism approach to analyze critically the impact of mobile phones
applications on tourism industry.
In positivism approach, the research has to analyze the available data to understand the
relationship of digital platform on tourism sector. In this kind of approach, it is easy to integrate
the impact of mobile applications for understanding the dynamics of the tourism sector. Mostly
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this technology has been used to take marketing strategies for the tourism industry, and how such
strategies are bringing diversity to the industry is analyzed critically. In this process, the
researcher compiles the entire stature of data collected primarily, and without manipulating
facts. A sample size of 100 consumers is surveyed for the purpose of conducting the research
project.
A proper research approach is required to understand the framework of the research project. To
bring effective result on the research work, it is necessary to follow proper execution of the plan.
In the research approach, the researcher has to integrate both creative as well as inventive ideas
to make the research project a better one.
The two main approaches in the research project are Inductive and Deductive in nature. In this
particular project, the researcher uses the deductive nature of approach to critically analyze the
data to execute the project smoothly. Deductive approach is the compilation of the data collected
as well as the previous canon of work, which have been produced on the similar field for better
understanding of the project. The researcher always tries to make the authentic usage of the data
without manipulating it under any circumstances.
A Gannt chart is provided to explain the research work on given timeline
All the important activities done
for the research project
Week 1
and 2.
Week 3
and 4.
Week 5
and 6.
Week 7
and 8.
Week 9
and 12.
Week 13
and 15.
Select the desired topic
Compilation of Secondary Data
in the form of literature review
 
Design the research framework
Strategy of the research
Research techniques
implemented
Compilation of Primary data
Proper analysis of compiled data
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Conclusion
Rough Draft of the project
Submission of the project
Figure: Gantt Chart
(Source: Created by author)
1.5. Provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research specification
Research Essentials Resources required for executing the research
project
Applied Research Philosophy for the research Positivism research philosophy
Data collection methods Primary Data Collection
Integrating research approach to execute the
research project
Deductive research approach
Using a proper research design for the project The Exploratory research
Integrating the Sampling techniques Probability sampling technique
In this research project exploratory research design has been taken by the researcher to analyze
the data critically. In this research design, it is necessary to study the collected data to find out
relevant facts about the research.
Ethical Considerations
Usually the researcher tries to integrate all the relevant data and facts for the better understanding
of the project. The researcher tries to find out the authentic result about the project by using
various methods. Most of these methods are used in primary data collection. For the ethical
consideration, it is necessary that the researcher ensure that none of the data is manipulated under
any circumstances. If the researcher makes any alteration in compiling the data, it will never
produce authentic data about the research work. The questionnaires for the project are also
designed in such a way, that it gives the best possible results about the project. Any disclosure of
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personal information about the participant can bring violation of trust and privacy. The
researcher should be authentic about collection of data.
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