Social network influences on young tourists: An exploratory analysis of determinants of the purchasing intention

Abstract

Several studies have identified the key determinants of customers' intentions to purchase online, as well as the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communication on their judgements. Despite the large volume of contributions to this topic, there is a lack of research on the impact of social networks specifically on young consumers' behaviour, despite their extensive use of social networks and greater exposure to social network-mediated advertising. The aim of this paper is to explain the antecedents of the purchasing intention for a tourism product in the context of social network communication, involving research among a sample of 1,183 students. Findings show the significant influence of eWOM communication and enjoyment, in addition to standard variables of the technology acceptance model (such as ease of use and usefulness), on attitude and intention. Key results of this work concern the importance of Facebook-mediated messages for the choice of tourism packages, with consequences for marketing strategies in the tourism industry.

What drives travelers' adoption of user-generated content? A literature review

“…The extent to which a traveler believes UGC is useful during a travel information search 13 Casaló et al, 2011;Ayeh et al, 2013;Casaló et al, 2010;Zhao et al, 2015;Lin, 2007;Munoz-Leiva et al, 2012;Lee et al, 2012;Ayeh, 2015;Pietro & Pantano, 2013;Ayeh, 2012;Yang, 2013;Ting, Ting, & Hsiao, 2014 Perceived ease of use The extent to which the traveler believes using UGC is free of effort Ayeh et al, 2013b;Sparks, Perkins, & Buckley, 2013;Ayeh, et al, 2013a;Jalilvand & Samiei, 2012;Hsiao et al, 2013;Casaló et al, 2011;Zarrad & Debabi, 2015;Jalilvand, Ebrahimi, & Samiei, 2013;Munoz-Leiva et al, 2012;Albarq, 2014;Cheng et al, 2006;Lee et al, 2012;Ayeh, 2015;Ayeh, 2012;Ting et al, 2014 Intention The traveler's expressed desire to read UGC during a travel information search…”

“…The extent to which the traveler perceives UGC to be fun and enjoyable 11 Lee et al, 2012;Aluri, Slevitch, & Larzelere, 2015;Ayeh et al, 2013b;Ku, 2011;Chen et al, 2014;Kang & Schuett, 2013;Pietro & Pantano, 2013;Ayeh, 2012;Ting et al, 2014 Experience The traveler's knowledge and skills that enhance the use of UGC in travel information searches 3 Ku, 2011;Kang & Schuett, 2013;Filiery et al, 2015 Perceived benefit The extent of the gains the traveler derives from using UGC in travel information searches 3 Parra-Lopez et al, 2011;; Oz, 2015 Literature on involvement abounds in the fields of sociology, psychology, and consumer behavior (Leung and Bai, 2013). Defined as "a person's perceived relevance of the object based on inherent needs, values, and interests" (Zaichkowsky, 1985, p. 342), involvement has been found to have a significant influence on the consumer's decisionmaking process.…”

The Influence of Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM) and Travel Motivation toward the Interest in Visiting Lombok, Gender as a Mediator

“…The previous studies have stated that the market of young tourists is interesting to study due to the fact that this market gives a new view about things that have not been used by the previous generation as a reference in choosing vacation places, but they are used by young tourists (Chen et al, 2014;di Pietro & Pantano, 2013;Kreis & Gottschalk, 2015;M. Lee & Youn, 2009;Ting, Chiu, & Kayat, 2015).…”

Exploring the impact of social media practices on wine sales in US wineries

“…Facebook's popularity is partially explained by Pietro and Pantano's seminal studythey found a high correlation between platform ease of use, usefulness through eWOM knowledge gathering and social enjoyment to user purchasing intent. 25 Supporting Facebook's contribution to usefulness and enjoyment, Breslin reports wine drinkers spend approximately 6.2 hours per week socializing on Facebook. 26 Twitter follows Facebook in popularity.…”