How far is a long way? contrasting two cultures’ perspectives of travel distance

Abstract

Compares and contrasts the perceptions of travel distance held by tourists from Australia and the USA, two cultures often regarded as similar by marketers and researchers. Investigates the relationship of cognitive distance, actual distance and prior travel experience. Collects data from 224 US respondents and 230 Australian respondents. Reports that the US tourist has a significantly more unrealistic perception of long haul travel than Australians. Suggests that this should lead to localized strategies for such groups, especially when the results are combined with a high importance placed on travel time by the US tourists.