Cyber alarm: Determining the impacts of hotel's data breach messages

Since cyber-attacks have become a significant concern in the hospitality industry, hospitality professionals need to address vulnerabilities and capabilities when data breaches take effect at hospitality organizations. This study investigated: (1) how a hotel data breach incident from different information channels influence consumers’ perceptions, and (2) how a hotel's responsibility for a data breach crisis influence consumers’ revisit intention and trust toward the hotel. The present study employed Situational Crisis Communication Theory to develop a 2 by 2 experimental design research. Participants were randomly assigned into one of four conditions (data breach messages received from either the news or the hotel; whether or not hotel guests are the victim of the incident). This study addresses the impacts of cyber-crisis communication on hospitality organizations. The results provide insights regarding hotel guests’ reactions toward information security and the practical implications for hotel management regarding corporate communication and reputation.