Information Needs, Information Sources and Information Search Strategies of International Air Travellers in Nigeria

This study examined the information needs, sources and search strategies of international travellers in Nigeria within the backdrop of unfavourable events in the aviation sector in the past 10 years. Accidental sampling technique was used to select 203 willing respondents from an undefined number of travellers found at the departure wings of the 14 international airlines operating at Nigeria's busiest international airport: the Murtala Muhammad International Airport Lagos, Nigeria, during June to September 2010. Data collection was guided by a questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, information needs and information sources of the passengers as well as travel variables. Chi-square analysis was used to reveal statistically significant relationships in the proportions for different groups. The travellers were a little above middle age on the average; mainly women, about 1 of 3 being self-employed, about 3 of 10 Christians and a little more than half were married, and 9 of every 10 reported residing in Nigeria. Travellers required information about fare more than they did about safety. Travel agents were the major sources of information to travellers; less number of travellers used the Internet, and lesser were solely reliant on the strategy. There is a significant difference in all the groups examined. Travellers from Nigeria seemed not to show any apprehension about safety; they prefer sourcing information from travel agencies probably because it takes away from them the troubles of logistic arrangements. This research is useful to travel agencies and airline operators in modelling their marketing management decisions and designing effective marketing communication campaigns and service delivery.