ABSTRACT
Tourists have relied on tourism intermediaries due to the risk of purchasing an unknown tourist experience as a wrong choice might result in a ruined vacation. Because social media allows the ability to verify experiences via consumer reviews along with the ability to communicate with local community members, travellers can use direct booking websites to create their own travel experience. This chapter examines how tourism consumer behaviour has changed, and considers the difference between a traveller and a tourist. Travellers seeking authentic experiences are savvy consumers who have a resistance to packaged products and generalized marketing messages. Travellers are now using social media and direct booking to bypass the tourism intermediary. The easy access to products because of technology has changed consumers' expectations of the purchase process. The problem with purchasing experiences such as tourism has always been how to verify the quality and authenticity of what is offered.
