ABSTRACT:
This study investigates the heterogeneity of online review readers in the tourism sector by developing a comprehensive typology based on empirical data. The main aim of this study is to create a typology of review readers. The research aims at providing a deeper insight into the profiles of the review readers and evaluating the impact of reading the review in different segments. Utilising a data-driven segmentation approach, the authors analysed 2,525 valid questionnaire responses collected from European consumers, primarily in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Through hierarchical and K-means cluster analyses, ANOVA and discriminant analysis, four distinct segments of review readers were identified and validated: Enthusiasts (41%), who heavily rely on reviews for travel decisions; Pragmatists (34%), who consult reviews for practical and financial reasons; Observers (10%), influenced by social context and trends; and Uninfluenceable Readers (14%), who largely disregard reviews. Profiling revealed that while socio-demographic factors such as age, education, and income are related to segment membership, their influence is generally weak compared to behavioural patterns. The findings fill a gap in the literature by offering a nuanced understanding of review readers, with implications for targeted reputation management, tailored marketing communication and platform selection.
KEY WORDS:
communication, cluster analysis, reputation, reviews, segmentation, tourism
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.7