Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 21.2
Types of online travel planning activity in the past six years
Online travel planning activity
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Change
(2012-
2007)
N =
2,436
N =
2,166
N =
2,014
N =
1,159
N =
1,032
N =
1,041
%%%%%%
Print out travel info/online
brochures
48.4
46.5
41.8
39.3
38.8
35.0
-13.4
Request printed materials/
brochures
41.5
37.4
35.7
29.9
34.9
33.4
-8.0
Look at comments/materials
posted by travellers
28.0
31.7
33.1
39.9
44.6
41.4
13.4
Print out coupons
27.6
28.3
28.7
28.5
26.5
29.9
2.3
Use interactive calendar of
events
20.3
19.4
18.3
20.2
25.8
22.9
2.5
Use interactive trip planners
18.5
17.5
15.6
18.1
21.3
21.0
2.6
Read travel-related blogs
16.2
18.4
18.9
22.4
28.4
24.4
8.2
Watch videos
14.6
18.0
15.0
22.0
29.1
29.6
15.0
Download videos
4.5
5.2
3.8
8.0
9.2
8.4
3.8
Use live chat to talk with travel
experts
4.3
4.8
3.7
6.9
9.0
8.2
3.9
Listen to travel-related audio
files
3.1
3.7
2.8
4.0
5.7
6.4
3.3
Source
: National Laboratory for Tourism and eCommerce, Temple University (2013)
due to the use of a device such as a smartphone and the traveller will, over time, become less
reliant upon the information search and planning prior to embarking on the actual trip.
Conclusions
Information search is an essential activity that supports travel decision making. The literature
reviewed in this chapter reveals the richness of the topic as well as the changing nature of this
behavioural aspect of travel and tourism driven by today's information technologies especially
the Internet. Knowledge about travel information search behaviour serves as the foundation for
tourism marketing. For example, the use of destination recommender systems and search engine
marketing has been growing in recent years as the result of deeper knowledge about what
travellers need and want within a technological context. While the Internet continues to evolve
with new channels for communications and transactions, new conditions for information search
are being created; for example, computer algorithms are being developed in order to tap into the
wealth of social knowledge embedded in consumer search behaviour as well as through social
networks to provide highly personalized and more trustworthy information. Thus, it is anticipated
that travel information search will become even more context-based, dynamic and more
personalized, and therefore, will be increasingly intertwined within one's everyday life. This,
obviously, will raise more important challenges for both the traveller and the industry as they
consider how to adjust to this new paradigm in travel and tourism.
