Measuring the Information Search Behaviors of Adventure Sport Tourists

Abstract

Sport tourism organizations engage in the practice of developing marketing communication and editorial information with the belief that these types of sport- and tourism-related communications are an important element of the sport tourists' prepurchase decision process. However, understanding the extent of its effectiveness requires an investigation into what communication mediums are preferred and from which source do they generally hold in highest regard. Thus, the purpose of this study was to first validate a survey instrument that provides a comprehensive means of measuring the information search behaviors of sport tourists, and second, examine how experience associated with an event and tourism status may influence consumers' information source preferences. Data were collected by surveying participants competing in multiple adventure sport tourism events. Confirmatory factor analysis validated a four-factor information source scale that illustrates sport tourism consumers' utilization of internet, interpersonal, print/media, and internal memory search methods. Findings revealed that adventure sport athletes, when lacking past experience with an event, will favor information derived from social peer groups. However, when participants became more experienced they relied more heavily upon their memory. Cultural explanations underpinning these communicative tendencies are discussed and marketing implications are presented.