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. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.