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Information sources and the decision-making process in tourism: An Investigation of Tourist Attraction and Activity Selection in a Digital Age / RHIANNON REES
Swansea University Author: RHIANNON REES
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PDF | E-Thesis – open access
Copyright: The author, Rhiannon Lynne Rees, 2024. Licensed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC) license. Third party content is excluded for use under the license terms.
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DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUthesis.68445
Abstract
This research investigates how tourists choose tourist attractions and activities on holiday. It examines how information sources influence the decision-making process and how other contextual, dynamic, emotional, and situational factors contribute to decision-making in the destination. Adopting a m...
| Published: |
Swansea, Wales, UK
2024
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | Cater, Carl ; Lowe, Tiffany |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68445 |
| Abstract: |
This research investigates how tourists choose tourist attractions and activities on holiday. It examines how information sources influence the decision-making process and how other contextual, dynamic, emotional, and situational factors contribute to decision-making in the destination. Adopting a mixed methods approach this thesis aims to deliver a holistic approach to in-situ decision-making. It collects nuanced and descriptive data from in-depth interviews with tourists in-situ and tourism professionals, supplemented by participant field surveys. This thesis addresses three critical research gaps: first, the scarcity of qualitative studies in the decision-making field; second, the lack of studies that include the divergent range of attractions and activities in the tourist destination; and third, the rarity of in-destination studies that focus on in-situ decision-making. It re-directs much of the focus in tourism from destination choice to in-destination activity choice. The body of work that addresses decision-making theory development and testing is limited mainly to tourist destination choice. It neglects the many complex and dynamic itinerary decisions that emerge while the tourist is on holiday. Information selection has been identified as a critical stage in the decision-making process. Recently, studies from the ICT field have emphasised the importance of new digital information sources, including the Internet, electronic word of mouth, mobile technology, and recommender systems. Suggesting that new digital sources have replaced traditional information sources. This thesis seeks to understand the influence of contemporary and traditional information sources such as leaflets, guidebooks, tourist information sites and recommendations from family and friends. Furthermore, it seeks to understand the dynamic nature of decision-making and the interaction with information search. Moreover, the timing of information sources employed at the different decision-making stages in attraction and activity selection. A pragmatic approach is utilised, employing mixed methods research with particular emphasis on the qualitative data collected and evaluated with thematic analysis. The thesis comprises nineteen in-depth interviews with tourists in Aberystwyth; three interviews with industry professionals; and 515 surveys conducted at tourist attractions. This study will provide theoretical and managerial insights into in-destination decision-making processes; information sources; dynamic, contextual, and influential factors relating to the selection of activities and attractions. The study was carried out in rural Wales in the UK and was funded by KESS2, a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship funded by the European Social Fund. |
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| Keywords: |
Tourism, Attractions, Activities,, Consumer Behaviour, Dynamic Decision-Making, Emotions, Information Sources |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Funders: |
KESS2 |