Information seeking behaviour of indian and international tourists visiting world heritage sites in north Karnataka, India

Abstract

Tourism is recognized as an industry by the Government of India since it contributes to employment generation and economic growth. Understanding the touristsx ’information-seeking behavior’ is essential for developing tourism-related innovative products and services. In this context, an attempt has been made to get insights into the information-seeking behavior of Indian and International tourists visiting tourist places recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritage Sites in North-Karnataka. The data has been collected by using questionnaires with the adoption of simple random sampling. Findings of the study show that a majority of the international tourists visit these places for understanding cultural heritage or for holidaying, while their Indian counterparts pay their visit as part of the educational program, visiting friends and/or relatives. Google is the most preferred search engine to collect travel-related information. Lonelyplanet.com and Trip Advisor.com were largely used by international tourists whereas Makemytrip.com was the most preferred by Indian tourists to make their travel arrangements, including transportation and accommodation. It is clear from the findings that International tourists depend mainly on web-based information sources, while Indian tourists rely on informal sources of information. Hence, it is necessary for the Government of Karnataka and private tour operators to host comprehensive tourists’ information on the web and establish 24 x 7 x 365 Information Helpline, and Information Kiosks exclusively for tourists to create a tourist-friendly environment.