Exploring the nexus between tourist characteristics and social media’s impact on decision-making: a PLS-MGA based study of Indian tourists

Purpose This study aims to explore the nexus between tourist’s characteristics and the changing intensity of social media’s impact on tourist decision-making among Indian tourists. A group-based comparison is done in this exploratory study; the basis of groups is the tourist’s characteristics which signifies their different types such as social media type, user type, traveller type and destination type. India, which is a huge market for tourists and social media users, is explored for this study. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an exploratory design where an attempt is made to analyse if the intensity of social media impact on their decision-making changes with different types of tourists. For this purpose, primary data analysis using Partial Least Squares Regression based Multi Group Analysis (PLS-MGA) is performed on 488 Indian Tourists which was collected using a structured online questionnaire. The groups have been divided according to tourist characteristics signifying different types like social media type, user type, traveller type and destination type. Findings Social media usage frequency and travel frequency have no moderating effect on social media’s impact on tourist decision-making. But social media type partially moderates decision-making with changing impact on the need recognition, information search and post purchase behaviour stages. Destination type also partially moderates with an impact on post purchase behaviour stage of tourist decision-making. Thus, it can be said that different types of tourists are impacted differently by social media across various stages of decision-making. Originality/value This is a novel study that for the first time explores the changes in the impact of social media on tourist decision-making through changes in their own personal characteristics. Also, it provides real-time insights for tourism marketing for Indian market which has huge potential due to Indians being avid travellers and users of social media.