Title: The Impact of Online Reviews on Hotel Booking Intentions Among Travellers Based In Imphal

Dr. Thokchom Heeraj Anand , Thangjam Roopesh Singh , Laimayum Sidharth Sharma , Irengbam Manoj Meitei , Gunamala Aribam

online reviews, booking intentions, Imphal, hotel bookings, positive reviews, negative reviews, review volume, eWOM

This study investigates the impact of online reviews on the hotel booking intentions of travellers based in Imphal, India—a region experiencing a surge in digital engagement with limited prior research on its consumer behaviour in the hospitality sector. As residents increasingly rely on online platforms to make informed booking decisions for destinations outside their home region, understanding how they interpret and utilize online feedback is crucial. Using a quantitative, descriptive approach, data were collected from 150 respondents via structured questionnaires distributed online. The findings reveal a strong positive correlation between positive online reviews and booking intentions, explaining 82% of the variance in decision-making, with specific feedback factors (e.g., Positive reviews hold more value than negative ones) emerging as highly influential. Surprisingly, negative reviews also positively influence booking intentions by enhancing perceived credibility and authenticity, indicating a nuanced interpretation among travellers from Imphal. Additionally, the volume of reviews plays a significant role, with a higher number of reviews correlating strongly with increased booking intentions, reinforcing the importance of perceived reliability and popularity. Key factors such as balanced feedback, visual content, recency of reviews, and reviewer credibility were found to substantially shape booking preferences, highlighting the value of transparency and diverse perspectives. These insights suggest that hotels can strategically manage online reviews to improve consumer trust and booking appeal among Imphal-based travelers, encouraging balanced, recent, and credible feedback as a core component of digital marketing.

Published Paper   E-Certificate

"Title: The Impact of Online Reviews on Hotel Booking Intentions Among Travellers Based In Imphal", IJSDR - International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (www.IJSDR.org), ISSN:2455-2631, Vol.10, Issue 3, page no.a258-a278, March-2025, Available :https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2503029.pdf

Volume 10 Issue 3, March-2025

Pages : a258-a278

Paper Reg. ID: IJSDR_300805

Published Paper Id: IJSDR2503029

Downloads: 000226

Research Area: Management All

Country: Imphal, Manipur, India

Published Paper PDF: https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2503029

Published Paper URL: https://ijsdr.org/viewpaperforall?paper=IJSDR2503029

ISSN: 2455-2631 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.15 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2016

An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.15 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator

Publisher: IJSDR(IJ Publication) Janvi Wave

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and The Open Definition