1. Dr. SHIJI PRASANNAN - Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management Studies, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat.
2. Dr. RISHI VAIDYA - Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
3. Dr. VISHAL GEETE - Professor, Prashanti Institute of Management, Ujjain, M.P.
4. Dr. RAKSHITA PURANIK - Professor, Renaissance University, Indore, M.P.
5. Dr. GIRISH SHAH - Professor, Prashanti Institute of Management, Ujjain, M.P.
6. RUPALI MEHTA - Assistant Professor, Renaissance University, Indore, M.P.
7. NITESH MAKODE - Assistant Professor, Renaissance University, Indore, M.P.
Travellers now mostly get their information about tourism destinations from the Internet. The World Tourism Organisation estimates that 95% of Internet users look for travel-related information online, and 93% of users say they have visited travel websites when making trip plans. The number of people utilising the Internet to plan their travel and holidays has increased by more than 300% in the last five years. The growth of online evaluations has caused a substantial change in customer behaviour in the tourist business in an increasingly digitalized environment. This study explores the intricate connections between consumer decision-making, internet reviews, and the ideas of authenticity and trust in the context of the travel and tourism sector. The study employs a quantitative assessments of traveler preferences and behaviors. By analyzing a diverse range of online reviews across various tourism destinations. For this study we will be taking sample size of 200 through convenient sampling method. Data collection tool will be structured questionnaire. Data analysis will be done using satirical software. The paper aims at investigating the role of online review platforms, their design, and the characteristics of the reviewers themselves in influencing consumer trust and decision-making in the tourism sector. Providing recommendations and insights for tourism practitioners on how to utilize online reviews effectively and foster trust and authenticity in their digital marketing strategies. And add to the corpus of knowledge in the tourism domain by providing a thorough examination of how customer perceptions and decision-making are influenced by online reviews, which in turn informs tactics for boosting the online reputation of travel locations and companies. The results of this study may provide insightful information for assisting in the design of methods to strengthen the reliability of internet reviews and better traveller decision-making in the tourism sector, as well as scholars and practitioners in the field.
Online Reviews, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Trust, Perceived Authenticity, Tourism Sector.