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Introduction
Rapid and modern developments in the field of communication technologies in our age both extended the internet and social media usage and strengthened the online environments where satisfactions and complaints are directly transferred from one customer to another, which had a critical value in the maintenance of company image. The tourists in the tourism sector shared their recommendations and complaints not only with the business itself but also on the online travel information channels, social media, travel blogs and various Web platforms directly with the potential customers. As well as sharing their own holiday experience written in their own expressions on online platforms with others, customers also influence the preferences of the potential customers by rating the hotels and related products and services (Lee and Ro, 2016; Garcia-Pablos et al., 2016; Ayeh et al., 2013). Web 2.0, which provided this information sharing and which increased the importance it has on the customers, bears the characteristics of being an interactive platform enriching day by day with the contents formed by the users and bringing various communities together (Ankolekar et al., 2008; George and Screrri, 2007). The popularity of Web 2.0 with the customers has increased so much that people in our age share their holiday experiences, travel plans, reviews on the hotel they stay at, opinions and recommendations on the restaurants and the places to visit with others on the travel blogs (Nomadic Matt, Expert Vagabond, Pinoy Adventurista, Adventurer, Migrationology, The Planet D, etc.), official and personal social media accounts of the businesses (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), video sharing sites (YouTube), travel review sites (TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Yelp, OpenTable, Virtual Tourist, etc.) and various online platforms (Myspace, Wikis, WAYN, Flickr, WhatsApp, etc.) whose numbers reach hundreds and thereby have a considerable effect on the decision mechanisms before the travel. Today, the situation has become so interesting that some tourists are not satisfied with the information provided through ads and promotions or friend/relative recommendations and analyse the reviews, photographs and videos shared by others on the user-generated content sites and various online platforms in detail, and they sometimes trust them and consider all these sources trustworthy while making decisions.
The fact that reviews shared on social media and web sites have become so popular...