Would you have known? The acceptance factors behind your next booking.
As part of the "Blockchain Zug - Joint Research Initiative", the Canton of Zug is investing strategically in strengthening blockchain research. The Institute for Tourism and Mobility at HSLU is part of this initiative and is focusing on the acceptance of the technology and its impact on tourism in order to address the digital trust gap. In order to better understand the initial situation from the perspective of tourists, we conducted a study with 1,200 Swiss tourists on the acceptance of blockchain-based offers.
The study examined the influence of acceptance on the intention to book based on the following postulated acceptance dimensions: Value for money, attractiveness and fit of the offer, level and credibility of ratings and attractiveness of additional services.
The intention to book was analyzed using an online experiment with two use cases:
The analysis shows the following key findings:
- Credibility as a lever: The blockchain verification of hotel reviews leads to a statistically significantly higher perceived credibility. This can increase guests’ intention to book.
- Focus on the benefits: The acceptance of blockchain solutions depends primarily on the functional added value (e.g. transparency/trust).
- Low influence of tokenization: The influence of token economies (Use Case 2) on the immediate intention to book is statistically low compared to the functional added value (Use Case 1).
- Target group-specific approach: Segments that value activity and the experience of landscapes or pay attention to balance in life and the strengthening of family ties showed a significantly higher intention to book in Use Case 1.
For tourism providers, this means that the implementation of blockchain technology to strengthen digital reliability represents a lever for increasing the intention to book and thus competitiveness. The insights gained are to be further developed and deepened as part of a research project. If you are interested in blockchain-based solutions in tourism, we look forward to hearing from you directly.
