TY - JOUR
T1 - What am i going to do now? Examining choice overload in vacation activities using the familiarity concept
AU - Sthapit, Erose
AU - Kozak, Metin
AU - Coudounaris, Dafnis
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Institutional research funding IUT (IUT20-49) of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research [grant number 20-49].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - This study examines the similarities between leisure activities engaged in at home and those engaged in while at a vacation destination, as well as the relationships between leisure involvement, leisure habit, choice overload, regret and satisfaction. A post-holiday web-based survey was conducted among tourists in Rovaniemi, Finland, and a valid sample of 246 persons was used for the data analysis. The study indicates that some visitors might exhibit similar behaviours in both their home and holiday environments in terms of activity participation. The findings demonstrate the effect of high involvement (self-expression and centrality) and habits (resistance) in leisure activities at home on lower choice overload regarding vacation activities while at a destination. Lower choice overload also leads to less regret but is not associated with satisfaction. One of the managerial implications of this study is that to avoid choice overload tourism service providers should be aware of the activities that visitors do in their home environments when offering them activities. Moreover, different tiers of programmes targeting various visitor segments are critical in avoiding choice overload, eliminating regret and creating satisfactory experiences.
AB - This study examines the similarities between leisure activities engaged in at home and those engaged in while at a vacation destination, as well as the relationships between leisure involvement, leisure habit, choice overload, regret and satisfaction. A post-holiday web-based survey was conducted among tourists in Rovaniemi, Finland, and a valid sample of 246 persons was used for the data analysis. The study indicates that some visitors might exhibit similar behaviours in both their home and holiday environments in terms of activity participation. The findings demonstrate the effect of high involvement (self-expression and centrality) and habits (resistance) in leisure activities at home on lower choice overload regarding vacation activities while at a destination. Lower choice overload also leads to less regret but is not associated with satisfaction. One of the managerial implications of this study is that to avoid choice overload tourism service providers should be aware of the activities that visitors do in their home environments when offering them activities. Moreover, different tiers of programmes targeting various visitor segments are critical in avoiding choice overload, eliminating regret and creating satisfactory experiences.
KW - Choice overload
KW - Familiarity concept
KW - Leisure involvement
KW - Regret
KW - Tourist satisfaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85035110084&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15022250.2017.1405844
DO - 10.1080/15022250.2017.1405844
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85035110084
SN - 1502-2250
VL - 19
SP - 232
EP - 258
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism
IS - 3
ER -