Evaluating user-generated content in social media: an effective approach to encourage greater pro-environmental behavior in tourism?

Han, Wei; McCabe, Scott; Wang, Yi; Chong, Alain Yee Loong

Abstract

Appealing to tourists’ intrinsic interest for high-quality tourism environments, and thus encouraging them to act with a greater sense of personal responsibility toward the environment, could be critical to promoting sustainable tourism. Proliferating media channels makes the choice, style and delivery of pro-environmental messages a key issue for tourism marketers and management. Social media has become a recognized important channel for tourism information, with user-generated content (UGC) being more trusted than official channels, yet there is little knowledge about its potential role in activating pro-environmental norms. This study investigates that issue. Focusing on the conjoining aspects of personal and social norms for the first time, we propose a hypothetical model to explain the direct and indirect effects of pro-environmental UGC in activating tourists’ pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Working in a Chinese context, where social media plays an increasing role, the research, using a web-based sample (N = 1043), UGC-linked pro-environmental knowledge and awareness, was found to have a strong role in activating pro-environmental norms, creating a pro-environment online community, and increasing tourists’ level of engagement in pro-environmental social media activity. The study highlights the effectiveness of social media channels with UGC providing persuasive communications able to impact sustainable behaviors.

Citation

Han, W., McCabe, S., Wang, Y., & Chong, A. Y. L. (2018). Evaluating user-generated content in social media: an effective approach to encourage greater pro-environmental behavior in tourism?. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(4), 600-614. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2017.1372442

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 21, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Oct 2, 2017
• Publication Date: Apr 3, 2018
• Deposit Date: Oct 16, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 3, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Sustainable Tourism
• Print ISSN: 0966-9582
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-7646
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 600-614
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2017.1372442
• Keywords: Pro-environmental behavior, user-generated content, social media, tourism marketing, norms
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/886139
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2017.1372442