Singapore-based online travel communities : an in-depth study of Sgtravelcafe

Abstract

This study focuses on a local online travel community, sgtravelcafe, with membership strength of 400, who meet both online and offline during monthly gatherings. It is an investigation into the needs that are fulfilled when members participate in the online travel community, and the influence of the community upon its members in their travel-related decisions and in building their expectations of the destination. This study has established that members participate in the OTC for the primary purpose of fulfilling their social needs through sharing travel experiences and meeting like-minded travellers, apart from functional, psychological and hedonic needs. This study also proposes a conceptual model of tourists’ travel decision making process. Lastly, using established typologies of tourists, we seek to understand which kinds of tourists are likely to participate in online travel communities. Members generally prefer to be information sponges, that is, they are open to recommendations and opinions from others, but prefer to retain flexibility while travelling. This is not surprising, considering that members belong to the type of tourists who are novelty seekers, with an inclination towards adventure and the exploration of new possibilities.