Cultural differences in travel guidebooks information search

Linda Osti, Lindsay W. Turner, Brian Edward Melville King

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

45 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The current consumer trend away from package tourism towards more individually organized travel, including special interest travel, is likely to have an impact on the structure and organization of the travel industry, the channels of distribution, booking systems, business and destination suppliers from private sources such as the internet and published travel guidebooks. In planning their holidays, tourists are increasingly likely to demand greater destination information. If they are to be made aware of the available range of product options and to make appropriate product choices they will need information. The extent and type of the required information will depend on the type of vacation, on the consumer's destination knowledge, prior travel experience, and cultural background. The present study reports the findings of a quantitative survey administered to Japanese, Korean, Chinese and North American travellers. The researchers aimed to investigate the need for information across Western and Asian cultures. The study has focused on the need for information in travel guidebooks and examines the extent to which culture influences the type of information sought.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)63-78
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Vacation Marketing
Volume15
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Asian travellers
  • Cross-cultural comparison
  • Information needs
  • Travel guidebooks

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cultural differences in travel guidebooks information search'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this