User-Generated Content behavior and digital tourism services: A SEM-neural network model for information trust in social networking sites

Abstract

Social media and User-Generated Content contribute to the hospitality sector. Consumers usually post reviews, suggestions, or judgements on hotel booking websites regarding their accommodation during their travel and afterward. This article investigates the determinants that affect users’ trust in shared information related to travel acquired from social media or tourism sites. Data was obtained from 266 SNS users. Data was analyzed using both the Structural Equation Model (SEM) and the neural network model. Results show that perceived enjoyment and perceived value were the most critical factors that affected SNS users’ trust in the shared information about travel from social media or tourism sites. This paper provides valuable insight into travelers’ behavior and managerial implications of sharing information from SNS. From SNS, tourism managers should increase the delightful and fulfilling features of their websites to gain more shared information about travel.