UTAZOM ÉS MESÉLEK – AZ UTAZÓK (E)WOM SZEREPE A BALATONNÁL

Abstract

When making decisions on where to travel and what to see, the recommendations of our family and
acquaintances are still the most important sources of information. As a result of the changes and
technological advances in recent years the decision making ‘power’ of travellers have increased which
meant both new potential and challenges for the service providers. Nowadays, tourism researchers not only
put great emphasis on word-of-mouth, (WOM) but also its online version, the e-WOM. As part of the EFOP
3.6.2-16-2017-00017 project, the experiences of the travellers in the Balaton region were surveyed with a
questionnaire, in spring 2018. As part of this questionnaire, the role of WOM could be analysed. We have
separated the WOM, to inputs (such as motivating factors for travelling, and information sources from the
Internet) and outputs (how was the experience shared, and why the destination would be recommended)
focusing on a specific journey in the Balaton region in the case of 591 domestic travellers in total. The
outcomes of the research show that the sample reflects the results of other surveys in similar topic. Among
the motivational factors the recommendation of friends and family, previous experience, and special
accommodation fee are the most significant. Facebook has the most prominent role among internet
resources used before traveling as content generated by other travellers. On the output side of traveling,
sharing photos and videos on social media sites during and after a specific journey and creating a travelogue
are the most common ways to share personal experiences. With the help of the open questions, the survey
also revealed, what would be recommended in the destination they visited. As a result of the questionnaire
the role of travellers in the whole process of traveling could be examined, and as a result of the open
questions, it also provided qualitative information.