ITC and Cultural tourism conferenceRadom, 19-10-2016

Website evaluation of lodging units along the Saint James’ Pilgrim Way in the inner North of Portugal.First try-out

Erasmus+ programmeCULTOUR+ projectnr. 2015-1-ES01-KA203-016142Veronika Joukes & Ana Paula Rodrigues & Isabel Vieira

Methodology We follow the example of HOTEL WEBSITE PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM A TRANSITION COUNTRY of Ljudevit Pranic, Daniela Garbin Pranicevic and Josip Arneric

Published at Tourism and Hospitality Management, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 45-60, 2014

(link: http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/182847)

We added questions in function of the CULTOUR+ reality

About 150 items per lodging unit to answer to

We concentrate on what is visible/omitted on the site to deduce conclusions. A detailed control of technical details by an IT specialist is lacking.

Verify whether general affirmations of this kind «most of the [companies] were not making the most effective use of their Websites» also count for this specific region/context

A team of 30 trained students evaluated the websites using an amended modified Balanced Scorecard (mBSC) approach from the user-friendliness, site attractiveness, marketing effectiveness, and F&B informativeness perspectives.

Types of lodging units The official tourism board of Portugal gives free access to a list with all registered lodging units in the country. Most of the units analysed appear in this list.

https://rnt.turismodeportugal.pt/RNT/ConsultaAoRegisto.aspx

Principal categories:◦ Estabelecimentos hoteleiros

Hotéis Hotéis-apartamento Pousadas Aldeamentos turísticos Apartamentos turísticos Conjuntos turísticos Empreendimentos de turismo de habitação Empreendimentos de turismo no espaço rural Casas de campo Hotéis rurais

◦ Agro-turismo Turismo de aldeia Parques de campismo e caravanismo (Privativos) Quintas da Madeira Moradias Turísticas (Madeira)

First results – uncomplete sample

We detected 214 lodging units (with most diverse characteristics).◦ 139 have a website (65%)◦ 75 do not have a website (35%)

So far we have analysed◦ 110 units with website (lots of them in São Pedro do Sul and Viseu)◦ 51 units without website

Unbalanced geographical distribution of the lodging units

Concentration in bigger urban centres, with the exception of Vila Real

User friendliness

User friendliness

No Yes Total %Yes

U02 Is a site map or index available? 19 91 110 0,83U01 Is a home button available from all pages? 22 88 110 0,80U04 Are navigation tools clear and effective on each page? 11 99 110 0,90U03 Is a site search engine provided? 78 32 110 0,29U05 Are links to required plug-ins provided? 62 48 110 0,44

U06 Is there limited horizontal scrolling? (maximum size of 3 pages) 60 50 110 0,45

U07 Is there limited vertical scrolling? (maximum size of 3 pages) 53 57 110 0,52U09 Is a mailing address clearly available? (by post) 18 92 110 0,84U10 Is a telephone number clearly available? 5 105 110 0,95U11 Is a fax number clearly available? 43 67 110 0,61

U13 Is there good web accessibility for people with disabilities (logo)? 80 30 110 0,27

U14 Is it a multilingual site? 35 75 110 0,68U08 Is a direct e-mail address clearly available? (by internet) 8 102 110 0,93

Categories with a score of over 80%

User friendliness No Yes Total %Yes

U02 Is a site map or index available? 19 91 110 0,83U01 Is a home button available from all pages? 22 88 110 0,80U04 Are navigation tools clear and effective on each page? 11 99 110 0,90U09 Is a mailing address clearly available? (by post) 18 92 110 0,84U10 Is a telephone number clearly available? 5 105 110 0,95

U08 Is a direct e-mail address clearly available? (by internet) 8 102 110 0,93

U11 Is a fax number clearly available? 43 67 110 0,61

Missing elements of less importance for smaller sitesUser friendliness

No Yes Total %YesU03 Is a site search engine provided? 78 32 110 0,29U05 Are links to required plug-ins provided? 62 48 110 0,44

U06 Is there limited horizontal scrolling? (maximum size of 3 pages) 60 50 110 0,45

U07 Is there limited vertical scrolling? (maximum size of 3 pages) 53 57 110 0,52

Site attractiveness

  Site attractiveness No Yes Total %Yes

A02 Is the homepage clear and uncluttered? 15 95 110 0,86A01 Is the text clear and readable? 7 103 110 0,94A03 Is there a sufficient contrast between background and text? 10 100 110 0,91A05 Is the background aesthetically appealing? 27 83 110 0,75A04 Are photographs available to reinforce the text content? 20 90 110 0,82

A06 Are the photographs of good quality?20 90 110 0,82

A07 Are colours used discretely? 22 88 110 0,80A08 Is the web page space used effectively? 28 82 110 0,75

All itens score over 75%

Marketing effectiveness

Focus on people with disabilitiesUser friendliness

No Yes Total %YesU13 Is there good web accessibility for people with

disabilities (logo)? 80 30 110 0,27

Marketing effectiveness No Yes Total %Yes

M36M36 Are (physical) facilities that improve the accessibility of the building to disabled people mentioned? 88 22 110 0,20

M37 M37 Is information on special services for disabled people available? 93 17 110 0,15

Multilingual sites – could be betterUser friendliness

No Yes Total %YesU14 Is it a multilingual site? 35 75 110 0,68

Marketing effectiveness No Yes Total %YesM29 Are all pages equally available in all languages listed? 37 73 110 0,66

Best scoresMarketing effectiveness No Yes Total %YesM04 Are photographs of the hotel's exterior provided? 22 88 110 0,80M05 Are photographs of the guest rooms provided? 21 89 110 0,81

M34Are photographs of the hotel (interior - common spaces) provided? 21 89 110 0,81

M02 Are maps and directions to the hotel available? 43 67 110 0,61

M10 Does the text describe the uniqueness of the hotel? 35 75 110 0,68

M47 Do they have Wi-Fi? 33 77 110 0,70M48 Do they have free Wi-Fi? 38 72 110 0,65

M01 Is the website up-to-date? 35 75 110 0,68

Tendency to make booking a room easy

Marketing effectiveness No Yes Total %YesM15 Is online booking of room available on homepage? 53 57 110 0,52

M39/M16 Is online booking of room available on some pages (that are not the homepage)? 48 63 111 0,57

Little attention to what can be done in the surroundingsMarketing effectiveness No Yes Total %Yes

M03 M03 Is a map showing destination attractions and things-to-do available? 80 30 110 0,27

M11 M11 Is information on local activities and events provided? 54 56 110 0,51M12 M12 Are links to local (tourist) activities and attractions provided? 81 29 110 0,26M38 M38 Are any nearby catholic churches mentioned? 81 19 100 0,19M51 M51 Are any nearby orthodox churches mentioned? 96 14 110 0,13M24 M24 Are links to information about other local services provided? 91 19 110 0,17M17 M17 Is a calendar of events provided? 94 16 110 0,15M22 M22 Is general destination information available? 50 60 110 0,55

M33 M33 Is information on special external hotel services provided? (hotel helps you book an excursion, a jeep tour, an extreme sport) 79 31 110 0,28

Missed opportunities to promote oneself better – in general termsMarketing effectiveness No Yes Total %YesM14 M14 Does the text introduce the owners/managers? 98 12 110 0,11

M46M46 Is there a section with news releases about the facility? 93 17 110 0,15

M18 M18 Are any awards/recognitions that the hotel has earned posted? 93 17 110 0,15

M21 M21 Are guest testimonials available? 84 26 110 0,24

M43 M43 Do they promote themselves as being sustainable? 82 28 110 0,25

Missed opportunities to promote oneself better – for specific servicesMarketing effectiveness No Yes Total %YesM30 M30 Is information on child care provided? 98 12 110 0,11M31 M31 Is information on pet care provided? 98 12 110 0,11

M32 M32 Is information on special internal hotel services provided? ( room service, swimming pool, events or an additional night) 62 48 110 0,44

M13 M13 are special offers available? (promotional package; new year's eve; Valentine) 74 36 110 0,33

They do not care about quality burocratic items

Marketing effectiveness No Yes Total %YesM28 M28 Is information on online payment security available? 92 18 110 0,16M20 M20 Are FAQs provided? 95 15 110 0,14M25 M25 Are site usage terms available? 89 21 110 0,19M26 M26 Is information on site privacy policy available? 80 30 110 0,27

Worst scoreMarketing effectiveness No Yes Total %YesM08 M08 Is information about "local weather" provided? 105 5 110 0,05

F&B informativeness

F&B informativeness No Yes Total %Yes

F01 F01 Is menu available? 97 13 110 0,12F02 F02 Can menu be printed? 104 6 110 0,05F03 F03 Are gift certificates/vouchers available? (for the restaurant) 104 6 110 0,05

F04 F04 Is online purchase of gift certificates/vouchers available? (for the restaurant) 105 5 110 0,05

F05 F05 Are operating hours posted? 81 29 110 0,26

F06 F06 Are high chairs available? [FOR CHILDREN?]101 9 110 0,08

F07 F07 Do they recommend/sell local food/dishes/gastronomy? 86 25 111 0,23

F08 F08 Do they use local products in their meals? (breakfast, dinner, …) 83 27 110 0,25

F09 F09 Do they provide vegetarian meals? 105 5 110 0,05F10 F10 Do they provide information on breakfast? (What do you get?) 99 11 110 0,10

Lost opportunity No attention given to gastronomy potential.

Contra-productive:

Portugal, and certainly the North, is famous for its gastronomy.

Today’s growing interest worldwide for gastronomy.

Wine information

Wine information No Yes Total %Yes

W01 Do they mention wine producers close by? 91 19 110 0,17W02 Do they offer discounts for wine tourists? 102 8 110 0,07W03 Do they offer special wine tourism packages? 97 13 110 0,12

W06 Do they offer wine services? (tasting, harvesting, museum, shop, guided tour, …) 87 23 110 0,21

W04 Do they provide links of informative sites about nearby wine producers? 99 11 110 0,10

W05 Do they provide links of sites of local SME related to wine?102 8 110 0,07

W07 Are they themselves a wine tourism lodging unit? 93 17 110 0,15W08 Are they themselves linked to the production of wine? 94 16 110 0,15

Lost opportunity Little attention given to wine potential.

What still has to be done: check whether wine information is (only) present in lodging units in wine regions.

Spa information

Spa informationNo Yes Total %Yes

S01 S01 Do they mention the spa(s) close by? 80 30 110 0,27S02 S02 Do they offer discounts for spa goers? 101 9 110 0,08S03 S03 Do they offer special spa packages? 101 9 110 0,08S04 S04 Do they provide links of informative sites about nearby spa(s)? 104 6 110 0,05S05 S05 Do they provide links of sites of local SME related to spa(s)? 107 3 110 0,03

Lost opportunity Little attention given to spa potential.

What still has to be done: check whether spa information is (only) present in lodging units in regions with natural mineral water springs.

Pilgrim information

Pilgrim information No Yes Total %Yes

P01 P01 Do they mention the pilgrim way close by? 105 5 110 0,05P02 P02 Do they offer discounts for pilgrims? 108 2 110 0,02P03 P03 Do they offer special pilgrim packages? 109 1 110 0,01

P04 P04 Do they provide links of informative sites about nearby pilgrim way? 110 0 110 0,00

P05 P05 Do they provide links of sites of local SME related to pilgrim route? 110 0 110 0,00

Lost opportunity No attention given to the recently implemented Saint James’ way in the interior North of Portugal.

What is still missing before considering the exercise to be final

For Portugal only

1. Insert the website analysis of the missing lodging units

2. Analyse some more detailed items1. Different languages2. Payment forms3. Links to social websites

3. Check whether site in a wine/mineral water region pay more attention to wine/spa tourism

4. Check what kind of websites mention the site/lodging unit

For the international exercise of comparison

5. Define the elements we will compare.

6. Define if we will compare some groups of countries or all of them together. Decide which countries should be grouped.

Elements we forgot or that did not fit into the balanced score card system, but interesting for our research

1. Does the unit has a Facebook page?

2. Determine criteria (how many subpages, how many pictures, how detailed) to conclude whether the site is basic or detailed.

3. Why do so many lodging units do not have a website?

4. And if they do not have a website, do they have their own Facebook page? Or do they completely depend upon intermediate sellers [what is the correct term]?

5. What technology/software was used to create the website?

6. Who is responsible for the updates?

7. Relation (contrast) between digital and physical identity (cfr. Paper of Aphrodite and Georgios)

Benefits of this analysis1. An X-ray of the present situation was executed

2. See whether a certain kind of topic constantly is present/missing

3. This exercise can be repeated over time in order to find out whether progress is booked

4. Research part that involves students (so that they can gain first experiences in this domain)

5. Research results can be the starting point for better cooperation between university (better knowledge through research) and local entrepreneurs (in the lodging sector)

6. We can ask the hotel owners to analyse their own site and see whether they come to the same conclusions as the students

7. Determine what kind of contents have to be joined in order to create a course to learn the stakeholders to upgrade their website or to create one

Future course on website creation/upgrading should focus on

1. Justify why it is worthwhile to invest in your own website

2. Insist on the importance of “administrative/burocratic” [what is the correct term?] information (not immediately relevant for the client, but in general important to raise the general quality of the site)

3. Raise awareness for the opportunity of underlining the uniqueness/quality of the lodging unit

4. Pay more attention to what you can do outside the lodging unit; integrate the units better in the region; offer more ideas to your customers to enjoy the surroundings

5. Promote local gastronomy, spas, wine brands/activities, hiking opportunities consciously

6. Think about sustainability and apply some topics

7. Communicate what you offer to special niche markets, like disabled persons, children, people with animals

ITC and Cultural tourism conferenceRadom, 19-10-2016

Website evaluation of lodging units along the Saint James’ Pilgrim Way in the inner North of Portugal.First try-out

Thanks for your attention!Veronika Joukes & Ana Paula Rodrigues & Isabel Vieiraveronika@utad.pt & anarodri@utad.pt & ivieira@estgl.ipv.pt