Influential factors and relational structure of Internet banner advertising in the tourism industry

The Internet serves as a major marketing and communication tool in the tourism industry; it is, therefore, surprising that there have been few discussions of the structural relationship between tourism and Internet-based advertising. This study focuses on determining how Internet-based advertising has influenced travel agencies operating in the tourism industry. The sample of 605 respondents is, therefore, limited to those with experience of both Internet-based advertising and travel agencies. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), it was found that while both consumer contact and attention paid have a direct relationship to a consumer's attitude of an advertisement, they only indirectly affect the consumer's response. The level of importance ascribed to the content of Internet advertisements creates two distinct responses, indicating that the consumer's degree of product involvement is a significant variable in determining the success of Internet advertisements. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.