Serendipity and independent travel

The independent travel market is not homogeneous. As smartphones and mobile navigation devices became ubiquitous, independent travellers are now allowed to explore the destination without making detailed plans. The purpose of this study is to explore tourists' preferences for the level of structure vs serendipity in their travel experience, and investigate how different styles of independent travel relate to other tourist behaviour. Findings showed that independent travellers, overall, had a higher preference for serendipity than following a structured itinerary. Respondents who were more ‘serendipitous’ participated in more activities, particularly sightseeing and outdoor sports, while those who preferred ‘structured’ travel took part in fewer activities, in spite of their planning. As predicted, the ‘structured’ respondents spent more time on travel planning and were more likely to look for specific information, such as price and location. The ‘serendipitous’ respondents, however, did not wander without knowledge. Searching for more general information about the area, they in fact used more information sources than those who preferred ‘structured’ travel.