Redefining Vacation Distances in Consumer Minds

Abstract

As travel-related costs such as fuel and accommodations rise, distance becomes an increasingly important variable in travelers' vacation destination decision-making process. Consumers may use cognitive distance estimates rather than actual distance in choosing a vacation destination, and studies thus far show that consumers' cogni tive distance estimates may be quite inaccurate. Thus, many specific vacation destinations may be placed in a worse competitive position than actually exists vis-a-vis distance.