Contemporary insights to the dynamic pre-trip information sourcing behaviour

Prior to their trips, leisure travellers search for information, both in the pre- and the post-decision stages. Previous studies on leisure travel decision making have documented how personal characteristics and perceived risk influence pre-trip information sourcing, but not detailed their effects on information sources used before and after a purchase decision is made. This study explores the role of traveller characteristics and the mediating effects of perceived risk on the choice of pre-trip information sources used by Finnish leisure travellers. The findings disclose a dynamic structure of information sources used before and after purchase decision contingent on risk perception. In particular, risk-averse travellers make increased use of television (commercials, news and TV travel shows), radio and family as information sources in a post-decision stage. For practice, these findings imply that tourism and hospitality marketers benefit from effective destination marketing strategies spanning an optimal mix of information channels.

[1]  A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Use of Travel Guidebooks: Pre-, During, and Post-Trip Behavior , 2011 .

[2]  The Use of Guidebooks by Japanese Overseas Tourists: A Quantitative Approach , 2007 .

[3]  A. Pressey,et al.  Consumer information search and credence services: implications for service providers , 2013 .

[4]  D. Gursoy,et al.  Tourist information search behavior: cross-cultural comparison of European Union member states. , 2004 .

[5]  D. Gursoy,et al.  AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF TOURISTS’ INFORMATION SEARCH BEHAVIOR , 2004 .

[6]  Nelson A. Barber,et al.  Gender differences in information search: implications for retailing , 2009 .

[7]  L. Festinger,et al.  A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance , 2017 .

[8]  Christian Grönroos,et al.  Service Management and Marketing: Managing the Moments of Truth in Service Competition , 1992 .

[9]  D. Snepenger,et al.  Information Search Strategies B y Destination-Naive Tourists , 1990 .

[10]  A. Morrison,et al.  A Comparative Study of Generational Preferences for Trip-Planning Resources: A Case Study of International Tourists to Shanghai , 2014 .

[11]  U. Dholakia.  A motivational process model of product involvement and consumer risk perception , 2001 .

[12]  Joseph T. O'Leary,et al.  What does the consumer want from a DMO website? A study of US and Canadian tourists' perspectives. , 2007 .

[13]  Svein Larsen,et al.  Effects of Sudden and Dramatic Events on Travel Desire and Risk Judgments , 2011 .

[14]  A. Decrop,et al.  Planning the summer vacation - an adaptable process , 2004 .

[15]  Gerard Dunne,et al.  Towards a decision making model for city break travel , 2011 .

[16]  Dae-Young Kim,et al.  The Motivations Of College Students’ Use Of Social Networking Sites In Travel Information Search Behavior: The Mediating Effect Of Interacting With Other Users , 2013 .

[17]  S. Nolan,et al.  Tourists' Use and Evaluation of Travel Information Sources: Summary and Conclusions , 1976 .

[18]  R. Law,et al.  Information search behavior of Hong Kong's inbound travelers‐a comparison of business and leisure travelers , 2002 .

[19]  John R. Walker,et al.  Tourism: Concepts and Practices , 2010 .

[20]  Thomas Bieger,et al.  Information Sources for Travel Decisions: Toward a Source Process Model , 2004 .

[21]  Kenneth F. Hyde,et al.  The Nature of Independent Travel , 2003 .

[22]  C. Vogt,et al.  Relationships between Travel Information Search and Travel Product Purchase in Pretrip Contexts , 2007 .

[23]  Øyvind Grønflaten,et al.  Predicting Travelers’ Choice of Information Sources and Information Channels , 2009 .

[24]  U. Gretzel,et al.  Role of social media in online travel information search , 2010 .

[25]  C. Grönroos.  Service logic revisited: who creates value? And who co‐creates? , 2008 .

[26]  J. Swarbrooke,et al.  Consumer behaviour in tourism , 1999 .

[27]  Information sources available to visitors: a segmentation analysis , 2008 .

[28]  D. Gursoy,et al.  Travelers’ Prior Knowledge and its Impact on their Information Search Behavior , 2004 .

[29]  L. Moutinho.  Consumer Behaviour in Tourism , 1987 .

[30]  D. Gursoy,et al.  Competitive analysis of cross cultural information search behavior , 2000 .

[31]  Ruth M.W. Yeung,et al.  The effects of risk-reducing strategies on consumer perceived risk and on purchase likelihood: A modelling approach. , 2010 .

[32]  William L. Obenour.  Understanding the meaning of the ‘journey’ to budget travellers , 2004 .

[33]  A. J. Veal.  Research Methods for Leisure and Tourism: A Practical Guide , 1997 .

[34]  A. Graefe,et al.  Influence of terrorism risk on foreign tourism decisions. , 1998 .

[35]  Dae-Young Kim,et al.  A comparison of different approaches to segment information search behaviour of spring break travellers in the USA: experience, knowledge, involvement and specialisation concept , 2009 .

[36]  Xinran Y. Lehto,et al.  Gender differences in online travel information search: Implications for marketing communications on the internet , 2007 .

[37]  J. Crompton,et al.  Attitude determinants in tourism destination choice , 1990 .

[38]  Mrinmoy K. Sarma,et al.  Information source usage among motive-based segments of travelers to newly emerging tourist destinations , 2010 .

[39]  Joan Meyers-Levy,et al.  Gender Differences in the Use of Message Cues and Judgments , 1991 .

[40]  B. Blichfeldt.  The habit of holidays , 2007 .

[41]  C. Smallman,et al.  Dynamic in-destination decision-making: An adjustment model , 2012 .

[42]  Brian Murray,et al.  Tourist information search , 1997 .

[43]  Alastair M. Morrison,et al.  The Effect of Prior Destination Experience on Online Information Search Behaviour , 2006 .

[44]  J. Lee,et al.  Risk, uncertainty and the theory of planned behavior: A tourism example , 2010 .

[45]  Srikanth Beldona.  Cohort Analysis of Online Travel Information Search Behavior: 1995-2000 , 2005 .

[46]  D. Gursoy.  Development of a Travelers' Information Search Behavior Model , 2001 .

[47]  Liping A. Cai,et al.  Tourist purchase decision involvement and information preferences , 2004 .

[48]  M. Sirgy,et al.  Toward a Quality-of-Life Theory of Leisure Travel Satisfaction , 2010 .

[49]  Arie Reichel,et al.  Perceived Risk and the Non-Institutionalized Tourist Role: The Case of Israeli Student Ex-Backpackers , 2007 .

[50]  A. Woodside,et al.  Building and testing theories of decision making by travellers , 2005 .

[51]  Peter Björk,et al.  Exploring the multi-dimensionality of travellers' culinary-gastronomic experiences , 2016 .

[52]  R. Garland.  The Mid-Point on a Rating Scale: Is it Desirable? , 1991 .

[53]  Andrew Lepp,et al.  Sensation seeking and tourism: Tourist role, perception of risk and destination choice , 2008 .

[54]  J. Lee,et al.  Tourists' information search: the differential impact of risk and uncertainty avoidance. , 2010 .

[55]  J. Bettman.  An information processing theory of consumer choice , 1979 .

[56]  P. Peeters,et al.  Rose Tinted Memories as a Cause of Unsustainable Leisure Travel , 2014 .

[57]  L. Algavi,et al.  The Role of Social media , 2012 .

[58]  R. Feng,et al.  Information Search Behavior and Tourist Characteristics , 2004 .

[59]  Arturo Molina,et al.  Tourism Brochures: Usefulness and Image , 2006 .

[60]  J. Dawes.  Five Point vs. Eleven Point Scales: Does It Make A Difference To Data Characteristics ? , 2002 .

[61]  D. Gursoy,et al.  Cross-cultural comparison of the information sources used by first-time and repeat travelers and its marketing implications , 2000 .

[62]  Peter Björk,et al.  A netnographic examination of travelers' online discussions of risks , 2012 .

[63]  A new perspective on tourist information search: discussion in couples as the context , 2011 .

[64]  Richard Stutely,et al.  Numbers Guide: The Essentials of Business Numeracy , 2003 .

[65]  B. Ritchie,et al.  Investigating the Role of Prior Knowledge in Tourist Decision Making , 2014 .

[66]  I. Janis,et al.  Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict, Choice, and Commitment , 1977 .

[67]  Xinran Y. Lehto,et al.  Structure of Travel Planning Processes and Information Use Patterns , 2012 .

[68]  Rayviscic Mutinda,et al.  Application of destination choice model: factors influencing domestic tourists destination choice among residents of Nairobi, Kenya. , 2012 .

[69]  L. Richter,et al.  International Tourism and its Global Public Health Consequences , 2003 .

[70]  B. King,et al.  Cultural differences in travel guidebooks information search , 2009 .

[71]  Paulo Duarte,et al.  An integrative model of consumers' intentions to purchase travel online , 2015 .

[72]  Rodoula H. Tsiotsou,et al.  Future research directions in tourism marketing , 2010 .

[73]  M. Bhatt.  Service Management and Marketing , 2011 .

[74]  Ş. Baloğlu.  Image variations of Turkey by familiarity index: informational and experiential dimensions. , 2001 .

[75]  N. Pearse,et al.  Deciding on the Scale Granularity of Response Categories of Likert Type Scales: The Case of a 21-Point Scale , 2011 .

[76]  Peter Björk,et al.  The Impact of Perceived Risk on Information Search: A Study of Finnish Tourists , 2011 .

[77]  J. Bruwer,et al.  Wine tourists’ use of sources of information when visiting a USA wine region , 2013 .

[78]  J. Crotts,et al.  The effect of uncertainty avoidance on information search, planning, and purchases of international travel vacations , 2003 .

[79]  A. Brownstein,et al.  Biased predecision processing. , 2003, Psychological bulletin.

[80]  Anne-Mette Hjalager.  A review of innovation research in tourism , 2010 .

[81]  S. Craig-Smith,et al.  Customer value amongst tourists: A conceptual framework and a risk‐adjusted model , 2006 .

[82]  B. Murray,et al.  A Model of Tourist Information Search Behavior , 1999 .

[83]  Alain Decrop,et al.  DESTINATION CHOICE SETS An Inductive Longitudinal Approach , 2010 .

[84]  Y. Reisinger,et al.  Travel Anxiety and Intentions to Travel Internationally: Implications of Travel Risk Perception , 2005 .

[85]  Andrew Lepp,et al.  Image and perceived risk: A study of Uganda and its official tourism website , 2011 .