What do you value based on who you are? Big five personality traits, destination value and electronic word-of-mouth intentions

Abstract

The travel and tourism sector (TTS) is an important source of jobs and revenues for any country. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has shattered some industries more than others, with the TTS being one of the most affected ones in Romania. Recovery of TTS is, therefore, critical due to its significant share in the country’s GDP. Electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) has recently become a strong instrument that voices the experiences of customers in the online environment and further determines consumption of tourism services by other people. The choice of a tourist destination depends on a decision involving evaluations of economic, emotional, social and altruistic values attached to that destination. These evaluations can determine electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) intentions as tourists need to share their experiences. Using PLS-SEM ( n=469) on the Romanian tourist population, the research hereby checks the influence of the big five personality traits (BFPT): openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism on the destination values. This research also aims to analyze the relationship between the big five personality traits and e-WOM intentions, using the mediating role of destination value, in choosing a tourist destination in Romania. Results are useful both for tourism operators and industry policy makers.