Does national culture influence consumers’ evaluation of travel services? A test of Hofstede’s model of cross‐cultural differences

Abstract

The influence of national culture on consumer evaluations of travel services was the focus of this study. Drawing from a representative sample of overseas visitors to the USA, and controlling for socio‐economic and trip characteristics, results provide a limited indication that national culture influences how customers evaluate travel services and their willingness to repeat purchase and recommend a service to others. The implications for researchers are that national cultural differences are one of many forces influencing consumer decision making. It is a measurable construct, like gender and socio‐economic class, that conditions how consumers interact with others and should be taken into account in our attempts to better understand consumers needs and expectations.