The Impact of User-Generated Content (UGC) on Traveler Lodging Intention: Special Reference to Travel Lodges in Sri Lanka

Abstract

With the effect of emerging social media, UGC has brought a new perspective by enabling social media users to communicate with or share their thoughts with social media networks. Social media users are also sharing their experience regarding the services and products which they consume. Hence, the quality of the service like travel lodge and hotel can be described after experiencing the service because of the intangibility of that service, UGC regarding travel lodges has a significant impact on consumers purchase intention or booking intention. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of UGC on travelers lodging intentions. The researcher built the hypotheses to test the relationship based on the conceptual model developed by the researcher. The convenience sampling method was used to select 266 respondents who has visited travel lodges in the previous 24 months and actively using social media. Findings revealed a positive relationship between UGC and purchase intention. It has been found that Attitude towards UGC, the need for information, and the usefulness of information have a significant positive impact on logging intention. Further in this study researcher has found that the usefulness of the information has a mediating effect on the relationship between UGC and lodging intention. This study provides the reference for marketers to clearly understand the effect of UGC in social media on travelers’ lodging intention and valuable insights for marketers, where they can revamp their marketing strategies for success.