The Influence of Online Travel Communities on Consumers’ Choice of a Travel Company

According to the Global Digital Report 2018, the number of internet users and users of social media is constantly increasing. Online travel communities that are considered to be the part of the existing social media and the object of the current research, are undergoing the same trend as well: the number of their members is growing, too. However, travel companies do not pay enough attention to social medial unawaring of the potential that it is able to provide them, particularly online travel communities, in terms of profit, client base increase. The aim of the study is to identify the role of online travel communities in making choice by consumers. The research has three chapters Theoretical backgrounds of virtual communities, their features and typology, as well as the typology and peculiarities of online travel communities are considered in the first chapter. The special emphasis is placed on travel company’s communities. In the second chapter the possible problems that can emerge in the online travel communities and the ways of dealing with them are presented.Case studies of international online travel communities (TripAdvisor, LonelyPlanet, Traveldudes, Expedia) is completed. , and quantitative one — conduction of the online questionnaire created in Google Forms. Case studies enabled to revel the specific characteristics of the earlier mentioned online communities, and benefits that they are able to give both travelers and business. The third chapter contains the practical part of the study, which was based on an online questionnaire created in Google Forms. According to the results of the online survey, a factor analysis was carried out, which allowed to determine the most significant factors while choosing a travel company by the consumer, as well as the regression analysis, which made it possible to assess the degree of influence of the identified factors on the choice of a travel company. The result of the research provided recommendations to travel companies to create, maintain their online community.