Effects of holiday packaging on tourist decision making: some preliminary results.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how packaging can be used for destination marketing. The focus is on how bundling and presentation format of package information influence consideration and intention to visit. Data used are obtained from 200 students for Tunisia and Turkey. Most tourism researchers have ignored the fact that destination choice is actually a complex and multifaceted decision process in which destinations are selected in combination with other elements that comprise a holiday. Tourism literature also seems to assume that consideration sets are likely to be stable over time and that destination marketers should try to get their destinations into the consumers' consideration sets as early as possible. The present study will investigate these assumptions by looking into the effects of holiday packaging on consideration and intention to visit. Preliminary results suggest that package information format has an impact on intention to visit.