ENTER2017 eTourism Conference presentation

1. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 1
Twenty-Five Years Past Vogt:
Assessing the Changing Information
Needs of American travellers
Yeongbae Choe1
, Dr. Daniel Fesenmaier1
, and
Dr. Christine Vogt2
1
University of Florida and 2
Arizona State University, USA
ychoe@ufl.edu

2. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 2
Information plays an essential role
in guiding travellers' decision-making process.
Introduction

3. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 3
Introduction
Functional
Need
Travellers search for information to
make core decisions and fulfil various needs.
Sign
Hedonic
Innovation
Aesthetic
Needs

4. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 4
Introduction
The nature and the level of ICT development
has had considerable impact on travel and, in turn,
the travel industry.

5. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 5
Introduction
Information technology has transformed
many aspects of information search process.
Prior to
the internet era
Recent
Development
Largely offline channels
(e.g., newspaper, guidebook)
Focused only on pre-trip
Both online/offline channels
(e.g., social media)
Continuously during trip

6. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 6
This study focuses on the structure of travellers'
information needs, and how these needs have
changed over the past 25 years.
1.Assess the information needs structure between Vogt &
Fesenmaier’s (1998) study and recently collected data.
2.Examine differences in information needs
before the trip and during the trip
Study Purpose

7. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 7
• Online survey used (Qualtrics)
– June 10, 2016 and June 20, 2016
– 1,093 usable responses (3.9 % response rate)
• To make the survey be comparable,
– Same information need scale items
• Randomized items order for ½ respondents
• Randomly ask either before or during the trip
– Matched the geographical boundaries (Midwest)
– Used the same source of the survey population
Methods

8. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 8
• Sample Characteristics
– No differences between Before and During respondents
Findings
Current study Vogt and Fesenmaier’s
More female (67%)
45 years or older (85%)
At least $70,000 ( > 50%)
Over College degree ( ≈ 60%)
Avg. number of trip
(5.5, 3.5, 2.9 times)
More female (67%)
High school degree (mode)
Avg. number of trip
(5.5, 3.0, 1.9 times)

9. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 9
• Validating Information Needs Scales
– Used same items with Vogt & Fesenmaier (1998) & checked internal
consistency/Reliability
Findings
# of items
Coefficient alpha
Vogt & Fesenmaier
(1998)1
n=305
Coefficient alpha
Current Study
(Before the trip)1
n=414
Functional Constructs 11 .86 .93
Knowledge 4 .70 .85
Utility 2 .69 .75
Efficiency 3 .75 .80
Uncertainty 2 .84 .83
Innovation Construct 10 .83 .90
Novelty 3 .60 .78
Variety 3 .64 .73
Creativity 4 .69 .78
Hedonic Construct 10 .89 .88
Emotional 3 .69 .73
Sensory 3 .68 .65
Experiential 2 .69 .59
Phenomenology 2 .80 .72
Aesthetic Construct 5 .77 .81
Image 3 .71 .82
Fantasy 2 .83 .83
Sign Construct 6 .88 .88
Advisory 2 .93 .89
Social 1 - -
Symbolic 3 .88 .85

10. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 10
• Comparing the current study and V&F (1998)
– A series of independent sample t-tests
using summary statistics
• Only Functional need – Statistically similar
Findings
Vogt & Fesenmaier (1998) Current Study
Functional Need 5.81 ( .87) Functional Need 5.76 (1.12)
Innovation Need 4.94 ( .96) Aesthetic Need 5.38 (1.11)
Aesthetic Need 4.88 (1.15) Hedonic Need 5.15 (1.12)
Hedonic Need 4.56 (1.20) Innovation Need 5.13 (1.09)
Sign Need 3.92 (1.42) Sign Need 4.35 (1.37)

11. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 11
• Information needs before and during the trip
– Using only the recently collected data
– MANCOVA with several covariates
• Gender, Age, Prior Experience, Efficacy, Attitude
Findings
Before the trip (n=414) During the trip (n=413) Sig.
Functional Need 5.85 Functional Need 5.80 ↓
Innovation Need 5.22 Innovation Need 5.24 ↑
Hedonic Need 5.22 Hedonic Need 5.27 ↑
Aesthetic Need 5.41 Aesthetic Need 5.34 -
Sign Need 4.40 Sign Need 4.46 -

12. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 12
• Information searching behaviours
– Differences across trip stages
• Product search, Channels and Sources, Devices
Findings
More for Before More for During
Product search
Festivals, sporting event
Transportation
Restaurant
Official Info. Channel Visitor Center
Info. Sources Friends/family/colleagues Advertisements from local
companies
Concierge, Outdoor sign
Devices used Smartphone, Navigation

13. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 13
• Fundamental changes in the role of information
due to the new mobile systems
• Essentially stable information needs over time
– Some slight but significant shifts
• Significant differences between pre-trip and
on-the-go planning
– Still rely mostly on functional information (↓)
– Innovation and hedonic needs increase (↑)
Conclusions

14. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 14
• Demonstrates the resiliency of human information
systems
– The lens of information processing theories (i.e., dual process)
• System 1 – an effortless-processing mode, hedonic and associative logic
• System 2 – an effortful-processing mode, functional information
• Marketing efforts/emphasis should differ substantially
depending upon how and when an information channel is
being used
– The system should be designed to accommodate both types of
information and both types of information processing
• Higher persuasive power of travel recommender systems
Implications

15. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 15

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Table. Sample Characteristics for Current Study
Demographic Before
(n=414)
During
(n=413)
p-value
Gender a
Male 33.1% 32.7% .894
Female 66.9 67.3
Age a
18-24 0.6% 0.3% .358
25-34 4.4 3.3
35-44 9.4 11.1
45-54 27.5 21.7
55-64 29.2 34.5
65 and over 28.9 29.0
Annual household income a
Less than $9,999 1.7% 2.8% .965
$10,000-$19,999 2.8 2.1
$20,000-$29,999 5.9 6.4
$30,000-$39,999 8.3 7.4
$40,000-$49,999 12.1 1.6
$50,000-$59,999 8.6 9.5
$60,000-$69,999 6.9 8.1
$70,000 and greater 53.8 53.0
Highest education a
Junior high graduate -% 0.6% .353
High school graduate 16.2 19.4
Associate or technical degree 24.9 24.5
Bachelor’s degree 33.8 31.8
Master’s degree 2.1 2.8
Doctoral degree 5.0 2.8
Past trip experience
to the Midwest b
Day trips 5.45 7.13 .160
Short overnight trips 3.45 3.22 .420
Long overnight trips 2.86 2.38 .356
Note: a: Numbers indicate the proportion of each group within the timing of their trip.
b: Numbers indicate mean values of those who took at least one trip over the past 12 months.

17. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 17
Table. Assessing changes in information needs over twenty-five years
Vogt & Fesenmaier
(1998)
n=305
Current Study
(Before the trip)
n=414
Difference test
Mean s.d Rank Mean s.d Rank t-value Diff.
Constructs-level
Functional Construct 5.81 .87 1 5.76 1.12 1 .74 -
Innovation Construct 4.94 .96 2 5.13 1.09 4 -2.52* ↑
Aesthetic Construct 4.88 1.15 3 5.38 1.11 2 -5.83*** ↑
Hedonic Construct 4.56 1.20 4 5.15 1.12 3 -6.75*** ↑
Sign Construct 3.92 1.42 5 4.35 1.37 5 -4.09*** ↑
Note: *** < .001, ** < .01, * <.05. All items were measured by seven-point Likert-type scales, ranging from 1
(strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).

18. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 18
Table. Importance of information needs across trip stages
Timing of the trip
F-value
Before
(n=414)
During
(n=413)
Construct-level
Functional Construct 5.85 5.80 7.38**
Innovation Construct 5.22 5.24 5.89*
Hedonic Construct 5.22 5.27 4.78*
Aesthetic Construct 5.41 5.34 3.31
Sign Construct 4.40 4.46 2.28
Note: *** < .001, ** < .01, * <.05

19. ENTER 2017 Research Track Slide Number 19