In the recent years, electronic word-of-mouth has become a commonly used marketing communication channel and one of the most relevant resources that customers employ to become more familiar with a product or service. Various authors have discussed the influence of the online reviews on the consumer behavior, particularly the purchase intentions, yet the findings have been contradictory. The present study uses the meta-analysis framework to collect relevant studies in the tourism and hospitality field and investigate the variable of review valence (positive versus negative-oriented ones) on the decision-making process of the potential buyer. Despite the multiple theories of attribution and negative bias, the influence of positive-oriented online reviews was shown to be stronger for the buying decisions than the influence of the negative ones. The study findings suggest that hospitality and tourism marketers should focalize their strategies towards the creation and management of positive online reviews.

In the recent years, electronic word-of-mouth has become a commonly used marketing communication channel and one of the most relevant resources that customers employ to become more familiar with a product or service. Various authors have discussed the influence of the online reviews on the consumer behavior, particularly the purchase intentions, yet the findings have been contradictory. The present study uses the meta-analysis framework to collect relevant studies in the tourism and hospitality field and investigate the variable of review valence (positive versus negative-oriented ones) on the decision-making process of the potential buyer. Despite the multiple theories of attribution and negative bias, the influence of positive-oriented online reviews was shown to be stronger for the buying decisions than the influence of the negative ones. The study findings suggest that hospitality and tourism marketers should focalize their strategies towards the creation and management of positive online reviews.

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