Decision strategies in tourism evaluation

Evaluation of alternatives is a cornerstone of any decision-making process (DMP). Usual models of consumer decision making (DM) entail fi ve main stages: need (problem) recognition, search for information, evaluation of alternatives and choice, purchasing, and postpurchase evaluation (e.g., Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard, 1986; Hawkins, Best, and Coney, 1995). The evaluation stage involves the selection of one option among a set of alternatives by using a specifi c decision strategy or a combination of multiple strategies. Vermeir, Van Kenhove, and Hendrickx (2002: 709) underline the major role of decision strategies in consumer DM: “another important factor of the DMP is the use of decision rules [strategies]. Each consumer uses certain decision rules to base their decisions on.” Of course, evaluation becomes more diffi cult when there are more alternatives, multiple contingencies or events, and multiple confl icting preferences and values.