A Mixed-Method Study of User Behavior and Usability on an Online Travel Agency

Online travel agencies (OTAs) play a more and more important role in the tourism and hospitality industry by contributing to a large volume of transactions and revenue. Many studies have evaluated tourism websites through different research methods. Website usability in general has improved dramatically but problems remain. Very few studies focus on the user behavior and usability of a single OTA website. This research uses a mixed-methods approach, including eye tracking methodology to study information search strategy and the usability problems of a major OTA site with a predefined information search task. The results show that users’ information search is mostly utilitarian in nature; the complex interface and advertising messages either confuse or were ignored by most users. The study calls for a simpler and more intuitive interface.