Trip Characteristics and Dimensions of Internet Use for Transportation, Accommodation, and Activities Undertaken at Destination

Abstract

This article identifies latent dimensions underlying actual Internet use by independent tourists when planning and booking their trip, and studies how these latent dimensions are affected by trip characteristics. We use structural equation models with binary variables and official statistics microdata on leisure visitors arriving in Spain by air and organizing the trip themselves (N = 20,746). We find a two-dimensional structure for actual Internet use related to the tourist product (accommodation and transportation vs. activities) rather than purpose of use (information gathering and booking). Low category hotels (hotels with fewer than three stars), trips planned long in advance, summer trips, and traveling with friends or family increase Internet use in both dimensions. Cultural trips and higher daily expenditure lead to higher Internet use in the activity dimension. Further distance and longer stay reduce Internet use in the accommodation and transportation dimension.