Tourist Information Search Behaviour Scale

What it measures

Measures the antecedents and types of tourist information search behaviour in an integrative model. Objective knowledge captures what tourists actually know about a destination; Subjective knowledge captures how knowledgeable they believe themselves to be; Previous experience captures familiarity through prior visits; Internal information use captures reliance on stored knowledge and memory; External information use captures active search from external sources (media, travel agents, peers, internet). The model establishes that objective knowledge and previous experience reduce external search while increasing internal search — confirming that familiarity shapes how tourists gather information before travel decisions.

Response format

Likert (1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

Internal Information Search — prior knowledge and experience (Likert 1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

• I relied heavily on my past experience when planning this trip.
• I used information stored in my memory when making travel decisions.
• My previous visits to similar destinations guided my choices.
• I trusted my own knowledge more than external sources.
• My personal experience was the most important source of information for this trip.

Online Information Search — digital sources

• I spent considerable time searching for travel information online.
• I read travel blogs and online reviews during trip planning.
• I used comparison websites to evaluate travel options.
• Social media influenced my travel decisions.
• I watched travel videos and virtual tours online before my trip.

Interpersonal Information Search — personal networks

• I asked friends and family who had visited the destination for advice.
• I relied on word-of-mouth recommendations from people I know.
• Advice from people in my social network influenced my travel choices.
• I consulted travel experts or influencers I follow online.

Marketer-Dominated Sources — commercial information

• I used travel brochures and printed materials during planning.
• I consulted a travel agent for information.
• I read destination guides and official tourism websites.
• I contacted the destination's tourism board for information.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Five subscale scores. Previous experience is the strongest suppressor of external information search. Subjective knowledge (feeling knowledgeable) and Objective knowledge (being knowledgeable) produce different behavioural effects — subjective knowledge reduces search; objective knowledge increases ability to process information found. Digital platforms have shifted external search heavily toward peer-generated content.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Gursoy, D., & McCleary, K.W. (2004). An integrative model of tourists' information search behavior. Annals of Tourism Research, 31(2), 353–373.

Keywords