Examining the Effects of Importance Attached to Content Sharing and Knowledge Sharing Facilitators on Tourists’ Actual Travel Experience Sharing Behaviour

Abstract

The study examines the effects of the importance of social media (SM) sharing and the knowledge-sharing facilitators on the tourists’ tendency to share their actual experiences on SM. Data were collected from 323 local (Turkish) tourists through face-to-face interviews. The convenience sampling method was used to collect data. PLS algorithm, blindfolding and bias-corrected bootstrapping methods were utilized to test the measurement and structural models. The findings revealed that the importance of participant and non-participant sharing did not directly affect the actual travel experience-sharing behaviour. Altruistic and personal fulfilment and self-actualization motivations as facilitators were found to have a full mediating effect in the relationship between the importance of content sharing and actual travel experience sharing. Thus, tourism sector managers should stimulate altruistic and self-actualization motivations as facilitators to encourage tourists to share their actual travel experiences on SM.