What Do They Search: Investigating the e-Word of Mouth Search Behaviour of Tourists

Abstract

Online reviews and posts about the beauty, unique characteristics, culture, amenities etc. about a tourist destination can influence the travel decisions of prospective tourists. This study aims at investigating the information needs and areas of concern while finalizing a destination and their influence on the e-WOM search behaviour of prospective tourists. The survey on 1319 respondents intended at identifying the concerns and information needs of tourists along with their extent of e-WOM search behaviour before they actually finalized their destination. The analysis concludes that there is a significant positive relationship between inquisitiveness related to destination characteristics, activities and attractions at a tourist destination and the e-WOM search behaviour. A significant negative relationship is found between the inquisitiveness related to amenities and the e-WOM search behaviour. The relationship between the concern for safety and security and the e-WOM search behaviour was found to be insignificant. The results of this study can provide useful insights to tourism marketing companies about the information related concerns of prospective tourists. The tourism marketing companies can accordingly ensure the availability of relevant content over online platforms for engaging with the prospective tourists and attracting them to the destination. The present study adds to the body of knowledge in tourism literature by categorizing the inquisitiveness and concerns of the prospective tourists into four broad categories and studies their linkages with the e-WOM search behaviour of prospective tourists.

Keywords: E-WOM, Tourism Information, Online Search Behaviour, Destination Attractions, Destination Safety

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