Abstract

Internet and new technologies have deeply affected consumer purchasing behaviour in many sectors, particularly in the touristic one. From the selection of the destination, through the travel and accommodation booking phase, to the «coming back» phase, which often involves sharing the experience through social platforms and writing a review, the tourist product is increasingly influenced by the pervasiveness of the network. The paper presents some selected results of an exploratory research aimed at investigating attitudes and behaviours of Italian tourists and travellers in relation to hospitality (offering increasingly personalized services to meet an increasingly differentiated demand). Results focus on the impact of the Internet on: 1) knowledge of the accommodation; 2) booking; 3) hotel choice (positive reviews); 4) hotel communication strategy (website); 5) liking of the room; 6) social activity of tourists; 7) how hotels keep in touch after the stay. The research was carried out using a structured questionnaire, which was administered partly face to face, partly through the Limesurvey platform, between 11/16/2017 and 01/07/2018. After a careful selection, 11,799 questionnaires have been analysed highlighting the key role of the web for hospitality management.