Survey research in tourism: a perspective paper

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss issues relating to survey research in tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

This brief perspective paper discusses the routine approach of survey research that has developed over many years (as tourism researchers adopted the most promising approaches to survey research fields), discusses the dangers associated with following this (or any) routine approach, and offers a small set of questions for researchers to consider before embarking on their next survey study.

Findings

A default approach to survey research has developed. It can undermine the validity of conclusions. The key to high-quality survey research is to thoughtfully design the survey study considering the specific research question at hand, and to carefully pre-test the questionnaire.

Originality/value

This is a perspective paper offering a brief overview of the topic of survey research in tourism.

Citation

Dolnicar, S. (2020), "Survey research in tourism: a perspective paper", Tourism Review, Vol. 75 No. 1, pp. 20-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-05-2019-0198