Online Information Search Strategies: A Focus On Flights and Accommodations

ABSTRACT

The problem of the research was to understand information search strategies that individuals utilized in online travel product purchases. Two products, flights and accommodations, were selected to examine each product's explanatory variables in online purchase behaviors. The results indicate online flight purchasers utilize direct information sources and focus on transactional attributes. Online accommodation purchasers utilize various types of sources; and they focus not only on transactional, but also informational and branding attributes. The study results support the constructive consumer choice processes theory and suggest some marketing tips for the airline and lodging industries.

Keywords:

• Information search strategies
• Internet
• flights
• accommodations
• binary logistic regression

The authors would like to express appreciation and thanks to the Canadian Tourism Commission for providing this dataset to study travel information search and product purchase behaviors.