Tourist purchase decision involvement and information preferences

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between tourists’ purchase decision involvement and their information search behaviours. The behaviours include their information preferences as measured by perceived value of different types of information contents, and their use of the internet as an information channel. The relationships are presented in a proposed conceptual framework of the tourist information search process, and tested through two hypotheses using a survey sample. The findings reveal that tourist information preferences significantly differed from one level of purchase decision involvement to another in seven out of 13 instances. It is also found that there are significant differences in using the internet as a destination information channel from one level of purchase decision involvement to another. The findings are discussed in the context of developing effective destination marketing strategies.