Travelers’ parasocial interactions in online travel communities

Abstract

This study explores whether, through parasocial interaction (PSI), trust in other travel community users drives travelers’ satisfaction with those communities as well as their travel experiences. It further examines the moderating effect of the quantity of contact with the communities. A total of 334 responses from travel community users were collected in South Korea. The results suggest all trust dimensions (competence, benevolence, and honesty) are significant in developing PSI, predicting community satisfaction and travel satisfaction, while quantity of contact has a positive moderating effect only on the relationship between PSI and travel satisfaction. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.