Personal Profile Information as Cues of Credibility in Online Travel Reviews

Abstract

Given the importance of travellers' reviews as a source of travel-related information, source credibility is becoming an increasingly crucial issue in terms of research and application. This study examines the role of self-disclosed personal profile information (PPI) as cues of source credibility in the context of travellers' use of online reviews for trip planning purposes. The results show that the perceived congruence between PPI, i.e., reviewer location and travel interest, and the textual content of the review influences subjects' judgements of the reviewer's credibility. The findings suggest that the availability of the reviewer's self-disclosed PPI serves as credibility cues for travellers' assessments of travel reviewers. The implications of the study, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.