What am I going to do now? Examining choice overload in vacation activities using the familiarity concept

This study examines the similarities between leisure activities engaged in at home and those engaged in while at a vacation destination, as well as the relationships between leisure involvement, leisure habit, choice overload, regret and satisfaction. A post-holiday web-based survey was conducted among tourists in Rovaniemi, Finland, and a valid sample of 246 persons was used for the data analysis. The study indicates that some visitors might exhibit similar behaviours in both their home and holiday environments in terms of activity participation. The findings demonstrate the effect of high involvement (self-expression and centrality) and habits (resistance) in leisure activities at home on lower choice overload regarding vacation activities while at a destination. Lower choice overload also leads to less regret but is not associated with satisfaction. One of the managerial implications of this study is that to avoid choice overload tourism service providers should be aware of the activities that visitors do in their home environments when offering them activities. Moreover, different tiers of programmes targeting various visitor segments are critical in avoiding choice overload, eliminating regret and creating satisfactory experiences.