The Adoption of the Internet as a New Distribution Channel for Holiday Tourism in Spain: The Challenge of Consumer Perceived Risk and Consumer Attitudes

The Internet is changing the purchasing habits and behaviours of the consumer. A preliminary step in the adoption of the Internet was its use as an information channel, thereby generating favourable attitudes towards the Internet. The following step was its use as a purchase channel by firms and consumers. From the consumer perspective, we should take into account a set of psychological factors that might be contributing to its adoption or acting as formidable barriers to its diffusion (into the Spanish leisure tourism): favourable attitudes towards the Internet use, trust and consumer-perceived risk. In our paper the keys factors are trust toward Internet and perceived risk.