An exploratory study on the use of information sources by consumers to select Australian regional travel agencies

Article

Ng, Eric. 2009. "An exploratory study on the use of information sources by consumers to select Australian regional travel agencies." Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management. 18 (1), pp. 26-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368620801988990
Article Title

An exploratory study on the use of information sources by consumers to select Australian regional travel agencies

ERA Journal ID19669
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorNg, Eric
Journal TitleJournal of Hospitality Marketing and Management
Journal Citation18 (1), pp. 26-43
Number of Pages18
Year2009
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Place of PublicationPhiladelphia, USA
ISSN1050-7051
1936-8623
1936-8631
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/19368620801988990
Abstract

[Abstract]: This research investigates the information sources consumers used to select regional travel agencies to make their travel arrangements. The research design involves two stages, in-depth interviews with 13 participants and a mail-out survey of 400. The in-depth interviews highlighted the need to remove three particular information sources (travel guidebooks, travel or automotive clubs and local tourist offices) for inclusion in the mail-out survey and replaced with two other information sources (television lifestyle programs and travel consultants) worthy of investigation. The mail-out survey revealed that personal experience was the most important information source used in the selection of a regional travel agency whilst yellow pages were identified as the least influential. The findings highlighted the relative importance of the 11 information sources investigated and also suggested that informal sources were more important than formal sources when consumers search for information sources to assist them with their selection of the travel agencies to patronise.

Keywordsregional Australia, travel agency selection, travel information sources, consumers
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020350604. Marketing communications
350804. Tourism marketing
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Byline AffiliationsSchool of Management and Marketing
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