The Effect of E-WOM on Tourists’ Experience at Malaysian Island Beach Resorts

In recent years, customer experience has strengthened its presence within the global tourism industry generally viewed as an experience-intensive sector.Despite that, major influences of customer experience are still debatable amongst academics and business practitioners alike.This study aimed to examine the extent to which electronic word-of-mouth (or eWOM) forms of communication influenced total guest experience, involving both escapism and aesthetic experience elements.Using a quantitative research design, 433 usable survey feedbacks were collected from target respondents comprising tourists staying at major island beach resorts in Malaysia.Data analyses were carried out using a structural equation modelling approach in testing the hypothesized assumptions.Findings revealed a significant relationship between eWOM and escapism experience.On the contrary, no significant relationship was observed between eWOM and aesthetic experience.This study makes a contribution to the academic literature in which it establishes the importance of eWOM on tourists'' experience.Several practical implications also were further discussed.