A Comparison of Information Usage Between Business and Leisure Travelers

This study explores the difference in information usage between business and leisure travelers. Data collected from a series of in-flight surveys of Japanese, South Korean, and Australian outbound travelers to the U.S. in 1997 were analyzed by logit analysis to determine if there were differences in information usage between business and leisure travelers. This research found significant differences in the utilization of external information sources between business and leisure travelers of Japan, South Korea, and Australia. In-flight information, national tourist offices, and state/city tourist offices were the only three information sources that were indistinguishable between the business travelers and leisure travelers of South Korea, Japan, and Australia. This study confirms that purpose of trip has a significant impact on international travelers' use of information sources for a trip plan. Various implications are provided to help practitioners implement effective strategies for enticing future demand.