Web quality index (WQI) for official tourist destination websites: proposal for an assessment system

Tourism is a vital economic activity in many countries. Cities, regions, countries and destinations of all categories vie for securing tourists and to do so they employ communication and promotion channels such as official websites. Despite the importance of these websites, no comprehensive method o...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernández Cavia, Josep, 1963-, Rovira, Cristòfol, Díaz Luque, Pablo, Cavaller Reyes, Víctor
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/32729
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/32729
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2013.10.003
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Websites
Tourist destinations
Website assessment
Destination marketing organisations
Descripción
Sumario:Tourism is a vital economic activity in many countries. Cities, regions, countries and destinations of all categories vie for securing tourists and to do so they employ communication and promotion channels such as official websites. Despite the importance of these websites, no comprehensive method of assessment exists to enable communications managers and directors to find out whether their destination's website is effective and where it ranks in comparison to its competitors. This paper presents a hitherto unseen assessment system aimed at meeting this need. Using a host of indicators, grouped into twelve parameters, a Web Quality Index (WQI) has been specifically established for tourist destination websites which, as well as determining an overall index, makes it possible to draw comparison between parameters or spheres of analysis. The assessment system is illustrated using the result of a pilot sample of official websites from ten destinations to confirm the validity and potential of the model put forward.