Mobile devices and information patterns amongst tourists

Introduction. This paper examines how mobile devices have influenced patterns of information behavior in tourism activities. Method. As a short conceptual paper we map the alignment of mobile information services to the three stages of travel activity. Analysis and Results. The paper asserts that there has been shift towards an in situ mode of information access and consumption to support tourism planning activity. Conclusion. The paper contends that mobile devices have had a concertina effect on tourism activity, with many activities that had been conducted by people in the pre-trip stage (related to searching for information and booking and paying for tourism products) and the post-trip stage (such as capturing information and recording of vacation experiences) are now being carried out in the during-trip stage. Mobile devices potentially allow access to a range of context-based services that previously were unavailable to the tourist, however are now easily accessible during a trip.