Abstract (150 Words)
The research presented investigates the advantages and limits of transferring a qualitative research approach (by interviews) onto the Internet. Internet offers the possibility to reproduce, to some extent, the interactive characteristics of face to face interviewing and these possibilities are tested in the research. A study on 200 consumers of ski resorts shows that while Internet opens up new dimensions to qualitative data collection, it cannot fully replace the presence of an interviewer. Results also indicate that image and word descriptions have different effects upon respondents’ answers and that Internet provides some interesting scope to encourage creative response from consumers
Tourist destination image: advantages and limits of transferring face to face qualitative data collection onto the Internet
The research presented investigates the advantages and limits of transferring a qualitative research approach (by interviews) onto the Internet. Internet offers the possibility to reproduce, to some extent, the interactive characteristics of face to face interviewing and these possibilities are tested in the research. A study on 200 consumers of ski resorts shows that while Internet opens up new dimensions to qualitative data collection, it cannot fully replace the presence of an interviewer. Results also indicate that image and word descriptions have different effects upon respondents’ answers and that Internet provides some interesting scope to encourage creative response from consumers
