Do Instagram reels influence travelers' behavioral and e-WOM intentions for the selection of ecotourism destination?
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights
ISSN: 2514-9792
Article publication date: 4 December 2023
Abstract
Purpose
There has been considerable discussion about the utilization of social media effectively in tourist research. Still, there is a paucity of information about its usage for ecotourism destination selection. The study aims to determine critical factors influencing travelers' behavioral and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) intentions to use Instagram reels to select an ecotourism destination.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on the motivated consumer innovativeness theory and technology acceptance model. Purposive sampling was applied to acquire data from Instagram users. Data were gathered from 445 respondents and 415 valid responses were analyzed using partial least square structural equational modeling.
Findings
The findings of the study confirmed the positive impact of perceived ease of use, socially motivated consumer innovativeness and hedonically motivated consumer innovativeness on travelers' attitude except for perceived usefulness. The outcomes also revealed a significant influence of travelers' attitude on behavioral and e-WOM intention.
Research limitations/implications
The study's findings were intended to offer insights into traveler behavior to critical players in the tourism sector, including destination marketers, travel companies, the government and policymakers. They must comprehend how useful Instagram is for the tourist industry, which will help them better understand how to attract travelers through Instagram reels to market their destination.
Originality/value
The current investigation is the first attempt to investigate the travelers' behavioral and e-WOM intentions to use Instagram reels to select an ecotourism destination.
Keywords
Citation
Sharma, N. and Arora, N. (2023), "Do Instagram reels influence travelers' behavioral and e-WOM intentions for the selection of ecotourism destination?", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-03-2023-0135
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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