Development and Independent Validation of an Expert-Informed Measurement Framework for Online Hotel Booking Intention

Online hotel booking intention is commonly examined through technological, experiential, marketing-related, relational, and social constructs; however, measurement content remains fragmented across studies, with limited attention to transparent processes that integrate literature-informed item development, expert refinement, and empirical validation. This study developed and independently validated an expert-informed measurement framework for online hotel booking intention among Thai tourists. Measurement content was synthesized from the literature and refined through a three-round fuzzy e-Delphi process involving academic, business, and industry experts. Twenty experts completed Round 1, and 19 completed Rounds 2 and 3, evaluating 45 items across nine constructs. All items exceeded the prespecified crisp-value criterion (C > 0.70) in both quantitative rounds, with substantial stability in expert ratings and decreased dispersion for 30 items (66.7%). Following pilot testing, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using an independent sample of 1646 Thai tourists. The nine-factor model demonstrated acceptable fit (χ2/df = 3.495, CFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.941, RMSEA = 0.039). The study contributes to measurement development by combining literature provenance, iterative expert judgment, and independent empirical evidence rather than relying solely on item-reduction criteria or statistical thresholds. The resulting framework provides a transparent measurement foundation for examining digital customer decision-making in hospitality management.