Cross-Cultural Differences in Travel Information Acquisition among Tourists from Three Pacific-Rim Countries

Abstract

To address the deficiencies of cross-cultural research in the realm of tourist information search behavior, this study investigates external information sources used by tourists of Pacific-rim countries, including Japan, South Korea, and Australia. The data drawn from a series of in-flight surveys of Japanese, South Korean, and Australian tourists to the United States between January and December 1997 were analyzed. Correspondence analyses were employed to compare tourists’ information research behavior among the tourists of the study countries. The resulting data reveal the differences that provide theoretical support for expanded research in the area of cross-cultural behavior and highlight the need for managers to consider possible differences in the development of promotional strategies when enticing potential Japanese, South Korean, and Australian tourists to the United States.