Privacy or Security: Does It Matter for Continued Use Intention of Travel Applications?

Mobile applications (apps) critically affect travelers’ decision-making and shape their experiences. Grounded in the expectancy value approach, this study examines the relationships among expectation confirmation (usefulness, ubiquity, ease of use, incentives, and enjoyment), privacy protection, security, satisfaction, and trust, and how these factors influence travel app users’ intention to continue using the app. Phase One of the study analyzed data from 509 survey respondents via structural equation modeling. The findings show that expectation confirmation, security, satisfaction, and trust influence travelers’ intention to continue using the travel app, whereas privacy protection exerts no significant effects. Travel app users’ level of technology proficiency moderates the effect of perceived security and satisfaction on the intention to continue use. In Phase Two, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the key findings from Phase One. This study contributes to the literature by examining expectation confirmation, perceived values of privacy protection, and security of travel app users in a single model to explain individuals’ satisfaction, trust, and continued use intention. The study findings also offer strategic implications for travel app developers as well as hospitality and tourism service providers and marketers on how to deliver a high-quality experience, enhance satisfaction and trust, and increase continued use intention among travel app users.