Abstract

This study was conducted to identify the forms of Online Reservation Systems (ORS) adopted by star-rated hotels in Accra Metropolis, Ghana. A cross-sectional design and questionnaire were used to gather data from 183 reservation/front office managers of the star-rated hotels through a census. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of independence, Factor analysis, and Binary logistic regression were used for the analysis. The study revealed that the majority of the star-rated hotels (87%) in Accra Metropolis have adopted ORS with Online Travel Agents and Hotel’s website being the most popular forms of reservation systems used. Technological, managerial, economic, and environmental factors emerged as the factors which influenced the adoption of ORS. It was also observed that hotels maximized reservations, and had their business open to the public always. The study further found that slow internet access, lack of qualified personnel, high commission rates, and lack of interaction between personnel and clients were the main barriers to the use of ORS. In as much as the adoption of ORS is beneficial, hotels are faced with several obstacles that prevent them from maximizing utilization of the ORS facilities. The study was restricted to only star-rated hotels in the Accra Metropolis. The knowledge advanced in this study will inform hospitality facility owners and practitioners about the factors underlying the adoption of ORS in the Accra Metropolitan zone. The outcome of this study provides hospitality policymakers, academicians, and stakeholders in hospitality development with relevant information on ORS adoption among star-rated hotels in the Accra Metropolis towards its development. This is vital since ORS adoption impacts the sustainability of the hotel industry and provides information that will serve as a baseline for further studies on ORS adoption in other categories of hotels and locations. The uniqueness of this study lies in the adaption of the Tornatzky and Fleischer model on the Technology-Organization-Environment to elicit the underpinnings of the adoption of ORS in a developing country like Ghana.

Key words: Online reservation systems, hotels, hotel’s own website, hospitality industry.