Information Source Before Travelling and Choice of Traveling Mode

Abstract

The ability to attract tourists is crucial for the success of tourism firms in Malaysia. This has therefore raised a major concern on which information sources tourists use when making choices on their traveling mode as well as the destination. It is on this basis that tourism operators; tourism providers and managers of tourist destinations are particularly concerned with which information source or media to use to attract tourists to tourism destinations. This study investigates the relationship between information source before traveling and choice of traveling mode among Arab tourists coming to Malaysia. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design with convenient sampling technique to generate questionnaire data from 358 participants who are mainly tourists from three major tourism attraction centers in Malaysia. The questionnaire data was analysed using multiple regression analysis technique to determine the relationship between information source and choice of traveling mode among Arab tourists coming to Malaysia. First, the overall findings show that information source before traveling among Arab tourists coming to Malaysia is significantly related to the choice of traveling mode. Further findings revealed that both tourism service providers and tourism information centers sources but not travel agent source are significantly related to the choice of traveling mode among Arab tourists coming to Malaysia. The study concludes that the choice of traveling mode among Arabs coming to Malaysia is mainly determined by tourism service providers and tourism information centers sources of information and not travel agent source of information. The outcomes of the study have significant managerial implications for tourism operators, tourism providers and managers of tourist destinations as well as tourism policy makers in Malaysia.