Navigating Choice Overload: How Time Pressure and Visual Display Shape Tourist Decisions

Existing research has predominantly examined choice overload in general consumption contexts or travel planning; its occurrence within destination experiences remains understudied. This research explores the effects of choice set size, cognitive load, and emotional experience within the context of tourism experience. Guided by cognitive load theory, the findings from four studies demonstrate that large (vs. small) choice sets reduce choice satisfaction and increase choice regret, explained by perceived similarity and decision difficulty among choices. The effect of choice overload is mitigated when tourists make decisions under time pressure (objective and subjective) and when product information is presented sequentially rather than simultaneously, serving as key boundary conditions. These findings provide practical implications for managers to mitigate the choice overload effect through multi-topic and multi-period product configurations, increased time pressure on decision-making, and adjustments in information presentation formats.