Changes in Propensity to Search for Travel Information Online Over Time: A Cohort Analytical Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the causal relationship between changes in online travel information searching behavior and the effects of biological age, time of travel, and generational cohort over time. Household data of 1997 and 2002 were utilized for this study. Independent samples t-tests and One-way Analysis of Variance were carried out to test the relationship between online travel information searching and the effects of time-related variables, and then stepwise logistic regression was employed to identify key determinants that explain variations in online travel information searching behavior over time. The results of the study provided evidence of time of travel and generational cohort impacts on online travel information searching behavior over time. The odds of a respondent searching for travel information online were 237% higher for 2002 pleasure travelers than for 1997 pleasure travelers and 42% lower for those that were born in 1935−1939 than for those born in 1980−1984. The implications of the study were discussed.Keywords: travel information searching, biological age, time of travel, generational cohort, cohort analysis INTRODUCTION One of the many challenges facing the American tourism and hospitality industry in the 21st Century is rapid changes in the demographic characteristics of the U.S. population. According to the latest Census report (2008), the American population is aging as Baby Boomers (those born in the post-World War II period between 1946-1964) advance into middle age. Low birth rate, increased life expectancy, and the aging of the baby boomers are believed to be causal factors in the aging of America (Godbey, 1997;Longino, 1994). Another challenge facing the U.S tourism industry is accounting for unique events/incidents or environmental changes that occur while people are planning or taking a trip, which may influence their travel behavior. For instance, economic conditions of the nation, such as GDP and employment rate, and technology developments, such as high-speed Internet and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are also believed to affect travel behavior. The population's changing age structure, unique events, and environmental changes have affected the U.S travel behavior over time. However, little attention has been paid to the following questions to date: What effect will the aging of the U.S. population have on the U.S tourism and hospitality industry over time? Have patterns of travel behavior, such as propensity to search for travel information online, been changing as successive young adult cohorts (e.g., 18 to 24 years-old age group) replace the previous cohort and the Baby Boomers reach middle age? And, do unique events, economic conditions, or technology developments (e.g., computer penetrations, Internet usage), have an influence on travel searching behavior while people are planning? What key factors can predict online travel information searching over time? These questions are of great importance to the tourism and hospitality industry becaus...

State of the world’s tourism statistics and what to do about it

“…Logistic regression, sometimes called logit regression, has been employed to shed light on a number of quite varied tourism issues over recent years (Alcántara-Alcover et al, 2013; Berezan et al, 2013; Chikuta et al, 2013; Huh and Frye, 2011; Kim et al, 2013; Stickel, 2011; Tseng, 2012).…”