Authors : Navneet Mehta; Chander Mohan Parsheera

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/u94rfybz

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/52hzzr7t

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug786

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : User-generated content (UGC) has emerged as an important source of travel information and it impacts tourists’ perceptions, destination assessment and decision-making. Previous research has used different theoretical lenses to explain the adoption of UGC, but the literature is fragmented as each theory focuses on a particular aspect of tourist behaviour (e.g. technology acceptance, information evaluation, social influence, motivation, decision making). Thus, there is a lack of an integrated theoretical framework that explains UGC adoption along the whole tourist decision-making process. The paper fills this theoretical gap by developing an integrated conceptual framework that synthesises Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Information Adoption Model (IAM), Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) Theory, Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) and Consumer Decision-Making Theory. This paper provide a narrative literature review to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of these theories and to identify opportunities for theoretical integration. This synthesis provides the basis for the proposed framework that explains the interaction of perceived usefulness, trustworthiness , social influence and hedonic motivation in influencing tourists’ adoption of UGC and consequently sequential stages of travel decisionmaking including need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour. The paper also develops a set of theoretical propositions to guide future empirical research. This study contributes to the existing literature in tourism and hospitality by combining different theoretical perspectives into a comprehensive framework and hence provides a more complete understanding of tourists’ interactions with UGC and a basis for future research using structural equation modelling and similar analytical techniques.

Keywords : User-Generated Content (UGC); Tourist Decision-Making; Social Media; Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); Information Adoption Model (IAM); Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM); Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT); Conceptual Framework; Digital Tourism; Tourism Behaviour.

References :

1. Assaker, G., O'Connor, P., & El-Haddad, R. (2020). Examining an integrated model of social media marketing, customer engagement and business performance in tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology.
2. Ayeh, J. K., Au, N., & Law, R. (2013). Predicting the intention to use consumer-generated media for travel planning. Tourism Management, 35, 132–143.
3. Blumler, J. G., & Katz, E. (Eds.). (1974). The uses of mass communications: Current perspectives on gratifications research. Sage.
4. Chen, C. C. (2025). Digital tourist decision-making in the era of artificial intelligence and social media. Journal of Tourism Futures.
5. Cheung, C. M. K., & Thadani, D. R. (2012). The impact of electronic word-of-mouth communication: A literature analysis and integrative model. Decision Support Systems, 54(1), 461–470.
6. Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340.
7. Engel, J. F., Blackwell, R. D., & Miniard, P. W. (1995). Consumer behavior (8th ed.). Dryden Press.
8. Filieri, R. (2023). User-generated content in tourism and hospitality: Recent developments and future research directions. International Journal of Hospitality Management.
9. Filieri, R., & McLeay, F. (2014). E-WOM and accommodation: An analysis of the factors influencing travelers' adoption of information from online reviews. Journal of Travel Research, 53(1), 44–57.
10. Filieri, R., Yen, D., & Yu, Q. (2021). Consumers' adoption of online reviews in tourism and hospitality: A systematic review. Tourism Management Perspectives.
11. Harrigan, P., Evers, U., Miles, M., & Daly, T. (2017). Customer engagement and the relationship between social media and business performance. Journal of Business Research, 74, 89–98.
12. Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68.
13. Kim, J., Kim, M., & Lee, C. (2023). User-generated content and tourist decision-making in the digital tourism environment. Tourism Review.
14. Kitsios, F., Kamariotou, M., & Talias, M. (2022). Social media and user-generated content in tourism: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 14(18).
15. Litvin, S. W., Goldsmith, R. E., & Pan, B. (2008). Electronic word-of-mouth in hospitality and tourism management. Tourism Management, 29(3), 458–468.
16. Liu, X., & Park, S. (2024). Information credibility and tourists' adoption of online travel reviews. Current Issues in Tourism.
17. Manap, K. A., & Adzharudin, N. A. (2013). The role of user-generated content in social media for tourism. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 144, 170–179.
18. Middleton, V. T. C., Fyall, A., Morgan, M., & Ranchhod, A. (2009). Marketing in travel and tourism (4th ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
19. OECD. (2007). Participative web and user-created content: Web 2.0, wikis and social networking. OECD Publishing.
20. Sussman, S. W., & Siegal, W. S. (2003). Informational influence in organizations: An integrated approach to knowledge adoption. Information Systems Research, 14(1), 47–65.
21. Xiang, Z., & Gretzel, U. (2010). Role of social media in online travel information search. Tourism Management, 31(2), 179–188.
22. Zeng, B., & Gerritsen, R. (2014). What do we know about social media in tourism? A review. Tourism Management Perspectives, 10, 27–36.