Internet vs. travel agencies on pre-visit destination image formation: An information processing view

Dolores Ma Frías, Miguel A. Rodríguez, J. Alberto Castañeda

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

228 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present study aims to provide a deeper insight into the factors affecting the formation of tourism destination image. More specifically, it is an attempt to determine the influence that the Internet, as a new information source in intense competition with travel agencies, exerts on the development of the tourist's pre-visit image. With this objective in mind, the paper analyses the ways in which individuals process information proceeding from each of those sources by way of an empirical study based on a multicultural sample of 592 tourists. The results show that destination image is worse when tourists use a travel agency and Internet together, than when they use a travel agency alone. This effect is moderated by the degree of the tourist's message involvement and Internet experience.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)163-179
Number of pages17
JournalTourism Management
Volume29
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2008
Externally publishedYes

Funding

Study carried out thanks to financing received from research project “Effectiveness of the Internet as a information source in tourism destination selection” by the University of Granada and from research project SEC 2003-09231 by the Ministry of Science and Technology's R&D&I National Plan and the FEDER Funds.

Keywords

  • Destination image
  • Information processing
  • Internet
  • Internet experience
  • Involvement

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