The Impact of Online Reviews and Ratings on Consumer Decisions: A Study of MakeMyTrip

The present study focused upon the effect of online reviews and ratings on a consumer's decision making behaviour and has particular interest in MakeMyTrip. The overall results of the research suggest that digital customer feedback is one of the most because the results of the research are a clear indicator that digital customer feedback plays a crucial role in determining a customer's buying decision in the tourism and hospitality industry. Tourism products are products that are intangible and include financial and emotional risks, for which consumers rely on reviews and star ratings, and customer experiences on the internet when choosing products. The study showed that positive reviews are strong motivators for booking intentions, engendering trust, confidence and positive perceptions of the quality of services; while negative reviews prevent buying decisions and boost uncertainty when booking. Ratings were also identified as a variable that influenced consumer assessment processes because it offered consumers quick and easy information on reliability, customer satisfaction and the overall quality of service. The study also revealed that younger and digitally savvy shoppers rely more heavily on online travel portals and eWOM during the travel decision-making process. The results show that for firms like MakeMyTrip, online reputation management is vital from a strategic point of view since the media content of customers designs consequences for firm's image, consumers' trust and repeat buy intention. The study concludes that reviews and ratings posted online are important in influencing consumers' perceptions and decisions in the digital marketplace of tourism. The credibility of the organisation, customer satisfaction and competitiveness in the tourism sector can therefore be improved by effectively managing the system of collecting and processing customer feedback. The present study is an interesting contribution to the understanding of consumers' online behaviors, but some limitations still exists because of the limited amount of respondents, time frame, and self-report questionnaires from consumers. Future research can extend the study to accommodate more samples, more websites and/or comparison between regions or countries. Additionally, the impact of fake reviews, Artificial Intelligence driven recommendation systems, social media influencers and image-based user generated tourism contents on consumer behaviors in online tourism settings can also be investigated. Further research can also focus on the correlation between digital trust, customer loyalty, and online purchasing behavior of travel for the long-term within an emerging digital market.

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