Using the Internet for Travel and Tourism Survey Research: Experiences from the Net Traveler Survey

Abstract

This article presents some of the 1995-96 first-year preliminary findings of the Net Traveler Survey, a pioneering and ongoing study of the travel and tourism characteristics of Internet users. The focus is on the strengths and challenges associated with using the Internet as a medium for primary survey research purposes. The article provides tourism market researchers and managers with useful guidelines concerning survey design and operational issues, such as addressing sample bias, weighting samples, and improving survey effectiveness and efficiency for respondents, clients, and research organizations. The article contributes to the growing body of knowledge associated with the methodological development of survey design and implementation strategies for using this rapidly evolving medium.