Time, money, or convenience: what determines Chinese consumers’ continuance usage intention and behavior of using tourism mobile apps?

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effects of three aspects of perceived advantage (i.e. time-saving, money-saving and convenience) on Chinese consumers’ continuance usage intention and behavior of using tourism mobile applications (apps) in the context of Chinese society and culture.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected at 20 key tourist attractions in Jinan, China from tourists who visit the attractions. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypothetical model.FindingsEmpirical findings revealed that time-saving directly affected consumers’ continuance usage intention but did not influence user behavior; on the contrary, money-saving had a direct effect on user behavior, but not on intention. Convenience was found to affect both intention and behavior and had a much stronger total effect on user behavior than time-saving and money-saving.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings offer insights into the further development of tourism mobile apps. While money-saving can be an effective marketing offer for user adoption of tourism mobile apps, tourism mobile apps operators should further tap into the value of time and convenience in designing and developing tourism mobile apps.Originality/valueThe study expands on practical knowledge of Chinese consumers’ behavior toward using tourism apps.