Exploring Motivations of Travel Knowledge Sharing on Social Network Sites: An Empirical Investigation of U.S. College Students

Abstract

The emergence of Web 2.0 and Travel 2.0 has planted the concept of social networking firmly into the tourism industry. Given the increasingly large number of users on social network sites (SNSs) and their high level of interaction, this study explored the underlying motivations and barriers of travel knowledge sharing on SNSs among undergraduate and graduate students in the United States. The results identified 3 major motivating factors that drive young SNSs users' intention to continue travel knowledge sharing. In contrast, privacy concerns and time issues were found to be the major barriers among those who were not involved in SNS-based travel knowledge sharing. The article also discusses implications for developing strategies to understand and benefit from SNS-based travel knowledge sharing.