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Empowering the traveler: an examination of the impact of user-generated content on travel planning |
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| Authors: | Luiz Mendes-Filho Annette M. Mills Felix B. Tan Simon Milne |
| Affiliation: | 1. Departamento de Turismo, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Av. Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazilluiz.mendesfilho@gmail.com;3. Department of Accounting and Information Systems, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand;4. School of Business, Excelsia College – Sydney, Sydney, Australia;5. School of Hospitality and Tourism, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Abstract: | ABSTRACTIn order to understand the role of user-generated content (UGC) in travel planning, this study integrates Psychological Empowerment with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), to develop a model of UGC-enabled empowerment and its impact on intention to use UGC when making travel plans. Survey data from 268 backpacker tourists revealed that perceived empowerment and perceived usefulness are significant drivers of attitude and intention to use UGC for travel planning. The findings provide the travel industry with a better understanding of how travelers’ perceptions of and use of UGC is empowering them to take greater control of the travel planning process. |
| Keywords: | User-generated content empowerment technology acceptance model backpackers |