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Assessing the E-capability of Visitor Information Centers

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: n.mistilis{at}unsw.edu.au.

	Abstract

Visitor information centers (VICs) play an important role in the promotion of tourist destinations to potential visitors because of their unique position as information providers. The nature of their information provision is however changing, primarily in response to the evolving information infrastructure. These changes to information delivery have in turn many implications for the users of this information. This article considers the varying information needs of virtual and face-to-face users of VICs and examines how VICs can meet their needs in the context of the changing information infrastructure. The article develops a taxonomy of the information tasks performed by virtual visitors as well as of their motivations, matched to provision of appropriate media, which it then uses to assess the e-capability of Australian VICs in meeting the information needs of visitors. Although Australian data are used, the findings are of interest and importance to VICs globally.

First published on July 1, 2009
Journal of Travel Research 2009, doi:10.1177/0047287509337415


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