Information and Technology Uses based on Travel Uncertainty

This study provides a more comprehensive understanding of travel information source uses in two formats-traditional and web-based and also considers tolerance for travel uncertainty as an antecedent variable to information search. The hypothesis of the study was individuals aim to reduce travel uncertainty with information search and pretrip planning. We hypothesized web-based information would "solve"more travel plans than traditional or printed information because of strong web accessibility and the variety of web sources that provide travel information. Surprisingly, tolerance for travel uncertainty was found unrelated to a variety of information search behaviors across both traditional and web-based formats. Segmentation, using cluster analysis, was used for additional analysis. With three tolerance level groups, some interesting trends and associations were found. For example, individuals with a high importance rating for certainty were likely to use tour operators; individuals with a high need for certainty were likely to use newspaper and magazine advertisements for tourism destinations and products; and individuals with a high tolerance for uncertainty were likely to use the web for accommodation information over traditional formats. Implications are suggested for travel marketing communications to focus on content that solves travel uncertainty and presents detailed information regarding accommodations, activities, transportations, weather, and culture.