Abstract
WeChat Official Accounts (WOAs)—a feature of WeChat—are thriving. However, studies on travel-related WOAs remain scarce and lack depth. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence usage intentions and travel intentions in regard to travel-related WOAs. Based on the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory, this study developed a theoretical model and examined the model through a web-based questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed through the online survey tool Sojump. After analyzing the obtained data via structural equation modeling, the results revealed that: (1) social, entertainment, and information motivations are the primary factors influencing usage intentions; (2) information and entertainment motivations are important factors influencing travel intentions; and (3) usage intentions positively affect travel intentions and play a mediating role. The findings carry theoretical and practical significance regarding how travel-related WOAs can improve users’ usage and travel intentions, as well as value for the actual management and marketing of WOAs.
Highlights
Since it was first launched by Tencent in January 2011, WeChat has accumulated over one billion active users and has developed into one of the most widely used smartphone applications [1]
Usage intentions mediate the model comprising factors influencing WeChat Official Accounts (WOAs) users’ travel intentions. They partially mediate the relationship between information motivation and travel intentions while fully mediating that between entertainment motivation and travel intentions. This is a preliminary study that aimed to examine the effects of information, self-service, entertainment, and social motivations have on usage intentions for travel-related WOAs and, on users’ travel intentions
This study has shown that social gratification constitutes the foremost factor influencing WOA users’ usage intentions and serves as a means by which travel-related WOAs can stay connected with users
Summary
Since it was first launched by Tencent in January 2011, WeChat has accumulated over one billion active users and has developed into one of the most widely used smartphone applications [1]. The WeChat Official Accounts (WOAs) were established on 23 August 2012, as a platform designed primarily to allow enterprises, media companies, government departments, and individuals to share, communicate, and access information through features such as push publishing, information queries, online interactions [2]. In 2019, people traveling within China reached 6.01 billion and tourism revenue amounted to about 5.73 trillion yuan (amount to approximately 0.81 trillion dollars), for annual growth rates of 8.4% and 11.7% respectively [6]. An increasing number of tourist destinations are establishing their own WOAs in attempts to enhance promotion; expand the coverage, forms, and scope of their services; and consolidate brand image [7]. WOAs have developed into a common means of marketing, and enterprises are taking active steps to market their products through WOAs [10]
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