Travel Information Search Scale

What it measures

Measures the range and intensity of information search behaviours tourists engage in before selecting and planning a trip. Captures internal search (prior experience) and external search across personal (WOM), marketer-controlled (advertising, websites), and neutral (reviews, guidebooks) sources. Travel information search intensity predicts trip planning horizon, satisfaction, and risk reduction.

Representative items

• I thought about my previous visits to similar destinations. (Internal)
• I asked friends or family who had visited this destination. (Personal External)
• I visited the destination's official tourism website. (Marketer External)
• I read online reviews from other travellers. (Neutral External)
• I consulted printed guidebooks about this destination. (Neutral External)

Citation

Fodness, D., & Murray, B. (1997). Tourist information search. Annals of Tourism Research, 24(3), 503–523.