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Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the impacts of the Internet on travel satisfaction and ultimately the overall sense of well-being and/or quality of life (QOL). This chapter suggests overall life satisfaction as an operationalized dependent variable to measure an individual’s sense of well-being and QOL and satisfaction in need constructs as an independent variable. Two conceptual models are proposed to explore the impacts of the Internet on travel satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. The first model focuses on the Internet role when it is considered as a tool for travel planning at a pre-trip stage and the second model focuses on the Internet role when it is considered as a social platform on a Web 2.0 environment where people share travel information after a trip, communicate and socialize with others. Two significant roles of the Internet in satisfaction formation and satisfaction modification are found. In terms of satisfaction formation, the greater amount of transparent and reliable information collected through the Internet at the pre-trip stage helps individuals adjust expectations to be realistic and the realistic expectation leads to reduce the negative satisfaction disconfirmation and maintain a higher level of satisfaction. In terms of satisfaction modification, post-consumption experiences at the social platform reconstruct previous memories and accordingly modify satisfaction. The modified satisfaction eventually influences overall life satisfaction.

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• Impacts of the Internet on travel satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. (deposited 17 Sep 2010 10:53)
  • Impact of the internet on travel satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. (deposited 25 Aug 2011 11:13) [Currently Displayed]