Why do social media users follow tourism-related posts? Roles of bloggers and posts in trip planning
Industrial Management & Data Systems
ISSN: 0263-5577
Article publication date: 3 October 2023
Issue publication date: 4 December 2023
Abstract
Purpose
More people share their tourism experiences on social media today than in the past, and as a result, more people follow these posts in their trip planning. However, studies into tourists' intention to follow such posts are scarce. Therefore, this study investigates the antecedents influencing social media users' intentions to follow tourism-related posts (TRPs) when planning their trips.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaires were collected from 402 social media users who had followed TRPs for their trip planning. Data were then analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural networks.
Findings
The authors found that blogger–user fit and users' involvement with TRPs influenced behavior components (attitudes toward TRPs and intention to follow TRPs) via assessment components (bloggers' credibility and content quality), and the authors developed a framework to explain this relationship.
Originality/value
The findings advance prior studies by investigating (1) the antecedents of intention to follow TRPs when trip planning, (2) the two main social media elements – bloggers and posts – to understanding the role of social media on travel behavior and (3) involvement with TRPs and their impacts on travel behavior. This study contributes to the research on social media and tourism marketing and proposes practical indications for bloggers, social media platforms and destination marketing organizations.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: Hainan Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Project [Ref. No: HNSK(YB)22-25]. The Education Department of Hainan Province [Ref. No: Hnkyzc2023-4]. The specific research fund of The Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province.
Citation
Zhou, Z., Li, T.(T)., Liu, C., Zhou, Y., Li, P. and Wen, S. (2023), "Why do social media users follow tourism-related posts? Roles of bloggers and posts in trip planning", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 123 No. 12, pp. 3080-3108. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-11-2022-0692
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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