D. VACATIONS BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDE

Decision Influences

Internal sources dominate the major influences for vacations or cruises, i.e., word of mouth (41%), always wanted to go there (40%), and spouse or travel companion desire (38%). On the other hand, destination websites (37%) influence more than a third of these online travelers.

Three distinct differences appear between cruisers and vacationers with respect to the information sources that influenced their last vacation/cruise choice. While word of mouth is the most influential for both groups, vacationers seem more susceptible to it (43% vs. 38%). Spouse/travel companion while a major influence for both groups is cited more frequently but non-cruisers (40% vs. 35%). Cruisers are more frequently influenced by travel agents (12% vs. 5%) and not surprisingly by cruise websites (30% vs. 2%).

Vacation-influencing information sources closely resemble those of each of the previous two waves of the study with one exception: the growing popularity of cruise websites (from 3% in 2002, to 11% in 2004, to 14% in 2006).

FIGURE 19
INFORMATION SOURCES THAT INFLUENCED LAST VACATION CHOICE (Q1F)