The Quality of Information and Related Sources of Information as an Assumption for Effective Decision-Making Process for Tourists to Travel in the European Tourism Market

Abstract

Assumption of effective decision-making process for tourists on a trip is based on quality information. In order to gain insight of
the source of information about tourists' decisions related to travel and to the European tourist market, a secondary research was
conducted. Subjects-tourists, who participated in the survey, were asked to indicate which sources of information they use when making
decisions about travel plans, by valuing different sources of information as very important to less important ones. Survey results indicate
highly prevailing sources of information such as "recommendations of friends and colleagues," and the Internet as a new technological
solution tourists use when making decisions about their travel resort. The most important sources of information, according to the
demographic characteristics of respondents in all 27 EU Member States, were also analyzed. In this paper, preliminary results are
brought in connection with the timeframe and poor economic condition determining the behavior of consumers and their capabilities
related to travel, and hence the frequency of travel, tourism trends and alternative travel destinations which are a result of most
acceptable solutions to these conditions. Classical sources of information, such as travel agencies with the exception of "the
recommendations of friends and colleagues", have new challenges and additional responsibilities on how to effectively implement stated
technological solutions into new business processes.