FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE IN TRAVEL INFORMATION INTERNET SEARCHES

Abstract

Advances in technological development, especially with regards to mobile technology and applications, sees more and more tourists being prone to using social media to gather valuable travel and destination information particularly in the travel planning phase. This is in line with the theory of reasoned action, information reliability and enjoyment, which are some of the benefits that are positively associated with the intention to use social media. Most people, especially teenagers, are twice as likely to have profiles on social media and use it as a source to gather information on travel and destinations they would like to visit. Thus, this study examines the factors that influence the use of social media in travel information searches by students. The main objective of this study is to examine students’ intentions to use social media in travel information searches. Specifically, this study attempts to determine how perceived benefits (information reliability, enjoyment) influence travel information searches on social media. Data for the study was gathered at public universities in Malaysia using convenience sampling and questionnaires.