Relationships between Travel Information Search and Travel Product Purchase in Pretrip Contexts

Abstract

This study adds to understanding the relationships between travel information search and product purchase behaviors by examining online and offline information search and purchase behaviors. A conceptual model of travel planning was developed from case-based vacation planning theory. Results indicated travel information search and product purchase commitments in the pretrip stage are different, travel information search and product purchase vary by travel product categories in the pretrip stage, and travel experiences influence travel information search and product purchase for certain travel products in the pretrip stage. This study suggests that travel-planning theory is strong in explaining complex travel behaviors.

Explaining travellers online information satisfaction: A complexity theory approach on information needs, barriers, sources and personal characteristics

“…[14,16,27,28]). In these studies, emphasis is being paid to identify why travellers search online and what type of websites they frequently access in order to pinpoint prospective online traveller profiles accounting also for demographic information, such as age and gender (e.g.…”

“…local attractions, restaurants and accommodation information) to transport options (e.g. flights to the destination), and other tourists' testimonials [9,27,37].…”

“…Online information sources in the context of tourism may be classified based on their formality [27]: Formal (or impersonal) online information sources include online travel agents, online travel guides and M a n u s c r i p t 4 travel organizers to name but a few popular information sources; informal (or personal) online information sources include blogs and online social networks. In the remainder of this paper, we also follow this classification of online information sources.…”

“…However, to lower risk and uncertainty in ambiguous selection choices travellers make extensive use of informal information sources (i.e. blogs, online social networks and websites that include customer reviews) to collect other travellers' experiences as the tourism product is highly experiential in nature [27,37]. At the same time, online visitors rarely complete their travel-related search in one session nor do they devote the same time in each information source [41].…”

“…Extant studies document that individuals searching for travel-related information online may be satisfied through different ways on the basis of their inherent (travel-related) information needs that, in turn, drive the selection of alternative online information sources through the filter of specific information barriers [16,20,27,35]. Although the end result is the same (i.e.…”