Travel Arrangements and the Distribution Behaviour of New Zealand Outbound Travelers

This article forms part of the “Innovation in New Zealand tourism through improved distribution channels” project funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on tourism distribution by examining the distribution behavior of 547 New Zealand outbound travelers segmented by the way in which they have made their travel arrangements: package tourists, independent travelers, and an intermediate group, package plus. The results reveal differences among the three segments in terms of travel characteristics, information search, booking, and purchase, but not profile attributes or the influence of distribution on destination or product choice. Variations are also found in channel behavior across the four different sectors examined: transport to and at the destination, accommodation, and attractions, and activities.

This article forms part of the “Innovation in New Zealand tourism through improved distribution channels” project funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

Keywords:

• Booking
• distribution
• independent travelers
• information search
• package tourists
• purchase
• travel agencies
• travel arrangements

Notes

This article forms part of the “Innovation in New Zealand tourism through improved distribution channels” project funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.