The role of tourist advisory services in consumer choice formation

<p>The present study examines users` interaction in tourist advisory services: the motivation structure of tourist advisory services users; the information search strategies of tourist advisory services users; the signals enabling tourist advisory services users to classify the information as reliable or unreliable; conditions in which tourist advisory services users take decision to act as creators of messages; the formation stages of communication between tourist advisory services users.</p><p>The goal of the project was achieved via the development of qualitative sociological method, namely twenty-five semi-structured interviews with organizers of tourist advisory services and the tourists addressing to tourist advisory services. After analyzing the data, we have obtained the following results. Firstly, tourist advisory services have complicated structure and provide plenty of opportunities for their users. Tourist advisory services users were divided into two groups: those who only search information and those who publish reviews. Secondly, we have revealed the complexity of motivation structure for turning to tourist advisory services: in particular search for ideas on place of rest and accommodation, saving money and time resources, social and altruistic motives, self-presentation. Thirdly, users have different strategies of obtaining information about the place of rest blogs, forums, posts, reviews etc.) as well as different criteria for choosing tourist advisory services (popularity, reliability, informational content, easy navigation, recommendation of friends). Fourthly, the signals enabling tourist advisory services users to classify the information as reliable or unreliable could be the balance of positive and negative reviews, reliability of tourist advisory services, and the adequacy of the author&#39;s nickname. Fifthly, there are several forms of communication between tourist advisory services users such as forums, comments, personal meetings.</p><p>Research findings may serve as a tool of implementation advertisement, promotional offers and new products for managers of travel companies and organizational development manager of tourist web sites. At the same time, the study will be useful for layman who turn to tourist advisory services for ideas on the place of rest and accommodation. &nbsp;</p>