Travel Decisions: The COVID-19 Paradigm Shift on the Use of Travel Aggregator Websites for Vacation Planning

Travel aggregator websites empower vacation planners to efficiently match their travel-specific needs with tourism suppliers. Prominent in communication studies, limited aggregator website research has been conducted in examining vacation planners' usage behavior with travel aggregators. Particularly relevant during the travel and tourism restrictions midst COVID-19, this study extends the Information Needs Model by recognizing the broadened role travel aggregator websites play in the decision-making process of vacation planning. This research explores how leisure planners utilized travel aggregators when travel restrictions and mandates were employed and then rescinded the following year. Travel aggregation websites' functionality was analyzed via vacation planners who use these websites. The online survey addressed: website functionality, demographics, perceived needs of leisure travelers, motivation for travel information sharing, and security concerns during COVID-19. Items addressed were personalization, needs, and satisfaction per demographics. This research provides recommendations to help travel aggregation websites, marketers, and tourism organizations adapt travel aggregation websites' search functionality and customize content post-pandemic to create a more consumer-focused approach.