Travel Information Search on the Internet: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This research used a travel planning exercise to explore the travel information search on the Internet. The results showed that travelers use a variety of web sites to search for travel information and they have different semantic mental models regarding the same travel destination. Accordingly, they encounter totally different travel information space during the information search. They tend to search for "information hubs" in which each information hub contains links to a cluster of web pages of different tourism attractions or accommodations regarding one destination. Their information search can be broken up into different episodes and each episode is targeting at a specific problem. Several episodes constitute a chapter which is one facet of a travel plan (accommodation, dining, attraction or transportation). Research results also showed that satisfaction of travel planning on the Internet is not only determined by the results of functional information search. As an extension of the travel process itself, the travel information searchers are also looking for exciting and novel information which is beyond their semantic mental models. The theoretical contribution of this study and implications for designing better information technology for tourism are discussed and future research directions are detailed.