Determinants of Sharing Travel Experiences in Social Media

ABSTRACT

The advent of Internet-based social media technologies has enabled travelers to quickly and conveniently share their travel experiences. Shared information on social media sites is recognized as an important information source which may influence travel decision making for potential travelers. This study tests a conceptual framework which examines why travelers share their travel experiences on social media based on the social influence theory and its three conceptual foundations—identification, internalization, and compliance. Data were collected using an online survey and the research model was tested with 543 respondents who were social media users. Results showed that identification and internalization are critical determinants that positively increase actual travel-experience sharing on social media as mediated by perceived enjoyment. Our research extends prior literature on social media by identifying specific determinants that can impact travel-experience sharing. Suggestions are provided for academics, the travel industry, and those working with social media.

Keywords:

• Social media
• social influence theory
• perceived enjoyment
• travel-experience sharing

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mandala Research, LLC and the Center for Socioeconomic Research & Education at Texas A&M University for technical assistance.