Making service decisions at a destination
Written by Maïthé Levasseur
Not all travel planning is done prior to departure and many decisions are made en route to or upon arrival at a destination. A recent study reports some facts and figures about this decision-making process and the information sources used at destinations and how the process is influenced by trip purpose and visitor origins. In short, it provides some tools and information to better target clientele because different businesses must take different actions.
The decision-making process is complex, particularly when it comes to travel, because of the intangible nature of services that contribute to one’s experience. In addition, some aspects can support more uncertainty than others. For example, major decisions like the choice of destination, the length of the trip, the accommodations and the overall travel budget tend to be made in advance, while secondary decisions, like entertainment and meals, for example, are often finalized once at a destination. Although this concept is widely accepted, it has yet to be thoroughly studied and documented.
Understanding the decision-making process
A study in the International Journal of Tourism Research closely examines when certain decisions are made and what sources of information are used at destination. However, although the study comes up with some relevant findings, these must be taken with a grain of salt because the survey in question covered a very specific site, the international destination of central Florida. Obviously, the findings could be different for other destinations or other visitor samplings.
Lodging and transportation are clearly decisions made prior to departure (90% of the time). On the other hand, when it comes to eating and dining, decisions are most often made at destination (70%), when in transit or at more than one stage of the travel planning process. Entertainment and recreation decisions are made both before and during a trip, in equal proportions (Table 1).
Source: International Journal of Tourism Research, 2007
The influence of referral information sources at the destination
When it comes to decisions made at a destination, recommendations are the most frequently used sources of information (Table 2).
Referrals from friends and relatives are the primary reference for all types of decisions. The study does not specify the percentage of respondents travelling for the purpose of friends and relatives, with these individuals lumped into the leisure travel sampling (over 70% of respondents).
Travellers also consult visitor information centres, particularly when it comes to entertainment and recreation. Regardless of the type of service sought, visitors regularly ask hotel staff (a source named by one-quarter of respondents), but rarely restaurant staff. Finally, recommendations from local residents (other than tourism employees and friends and relatives) have a greater influence on entertainment, eating and dining decisions than they do on recreation.
More often than not, the category of “other” at-destination information sources refers to prior or personal experience and the Internet.
Source: International Journal of Tourism Research, 2007
Visitor characteristics affect the decision-making process
The study also provides information on the timing of decisions, according to visitor gender, trip purpose and origins.
- Women are more likely to plan their trip in advance, particularly when it comes to entertainment and recreation.
- As a whole, leisure travellers tend to make these same decisions prior to departure, unlike business travellers, who tend to make their entertainment and recreation decisions once at the destination.
- Domestic travellers are more likely than international travellers to decide on their entertainment options prior to departure.
Though these are just observations, they do suggest that organizations wishing to learn more about their customers’ decision-making process should pay attention to such indicators. For example, given that leisure travellers are more likely than business travellers to select their entertainment options before leaving home, companies trying to attract leisure travellers should therefore highlight fun activities in their advertising and on their Websites.
An overview of Montreal visitors
A 2003 study conducted by Tourisme Montréal and Convercité showed that 43% of visitors to the city had decided which activities they wanted to do before they left home. The other 57% waited until their arrival to decide what to do, or else decided completely on the spur of the moment. (See: Processus décisionnel des touristes à Montréal.) These numbers reinforce the notion that it is important to properly welcome and inform our visitors!
Two principles to retain and integrate into any marketing strategy
Clearly, travellers often make decisions about dining, entertainment and recreation once they have arrived at a destination. Therefore, employees in contact with visitors must be trained accordingly.
The study also highlights the important role played by local residents in a visitor’s decision-making process. Residents are seen as objective destination experts. More specifically, companies specializing in recreation, entertainment and dining can benefit from recommendations given by a destination’s local residents. By forming bonds with the community, these businesses increase their chances of successfully attracting travellers through viral marketing.
Prediction
With the advent of Web 2.0 and the widespread use of cell phones, travellers already enjoy real time access to referrals and recommendations, and this way of doing things is only going to get more popular. After all, given a choice between restaurants listed in a guide book and those rated highly by local residents, which one would you choose if you had all the information at the tip of your fingers?
Sources:
- DiPietro, Robin B., Youcheng Wang, Paul Rompf and Denver Severt. “At-destination visitor information search and venue decision strategies,” International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 9, Issue 3, pages 175-188, May 2007.
- Tourisme Montréal and Convercité. “Enquête sur le processus décisionnel des touristes à Montréal,” December 8, 2003.
