The Impact of Online Reviews on Hostel Booking Decisions Among Gen-Z in Finland
Niraula, Nimika (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120532976
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025120532976
Tiivistelmä
This study reveals how online reviews sway hostel booking among Gen Z travelers in Finland. As the screen time for youths is ever-increasing, it has also impacted their reliance on peer-generated information, visual content, and sustainability cues when choosing accommodation. Despite the growing importance of online reviews in tourism, limited research sheds light on how Finnish youth evaluate reviews specifically within the hostel sector. The main objective is to examine the impacts of online reviews and to compare Gen Z’s frequent used OTA platforms.
A quantitative survey was conducted in a disciplined manner with 75 viable respondents living or studying in Finland. Although some participants reported international origins, their residence, travel habits, and they were analyzed as a group. The study depends upon three main frameworks: the digital social ecosystems model, the value-driven behavioral model, and the review heuristics model.
Results show that online reviews are deemed as highly influential by over 85% of the respondents, and 96% of the respondents claimed that they have rejected a hostel due to negative feedback. Booking.com was the most trusted and used platform amongst the young. Trust is shaped by visual proof, reviewer credibility, recency, and verified stays. Sustainability also matters, with 67% stating it affects their hostel booking choices.
The study concludes that Finnish Gen Z travelers utilize online reviews as their central tool for seeking authenticity, managing risks, and aligning their personal values with hostel choices. Practical recommendations for hostel and booking platforms include strengthening visual review features, improving sustainability communication, and prioritizing authentic peer driven content.
A quantitative survey was conducted in a disciplined manner with 75 viable respondents living or studying in Finland. Although some participants reported international origins, their residence, travel habits, and they were analyzed as a group. The study depends upon three main frameworks: the digital social ecosystems model, the value-driven behavioral model, and the review heuristics model.
Results show that online reviews are deemed as highly influential by over 85% of the respondents, and 96% of the respondents claimed that they have rejected a hostel due to negative feedback. Booking.com was the most trusted and used platform amongst the young. Trust is shaped by visual proof, reviewer credibility, recency, and verified stays. Sustainability also matters, with 67% stating it affects their hostel booking choices.
The study concludes that Finnish Gen Z travelers utilize online reviews as their central tool for seeking authenticity, managing risks, and aligning their personal values with hostel choices. Practical recommendations for hostel and booking platforms include strengthening visual review features, improving sustainability communication, and prioritizing authentic peer driven content.