Selecting Mobile Applications: Hotel vs. Online Travel Agency

With emergence of smart phones, the Internet accessibility and mobility were remarkably increased; therefore, many travelers book a hotel room using a smart phone. Accordingly, hotel companies and online travel agencies (OTAs) have offered mobile applications (apps) for their guests who use a smart phone. The study was designed to investigate what factors influence hotel guests in choosing mobile applications and what kinds of functions and information the guests are interested in depending on the timing of need and gender. The researchers found that very few respondents have used mobile apps from hotel companies. In addition, there were significant relationships between choosing mobile apps and temporal situations and choosing mobile apps and gender differences. Finally, the results showed what functions or information provided by mobile apps that hotel guests are interested in. We also make suggestions about how provide better mobile applications for targeted consumers in the hotel industry.