Males or females in solo or group travel: how do they impact travel intentions of potential tourists with different self-construals?

Despite the growing popularity of solo travel, there is a limited understanding of males or females in solo or group travel, and how such perceptions impact observers’ travel intentions. Based on travel experiences shared online, this research investigates the effects of sharers’ travel mode and gender on travel intentions of potential tourists with different self-construals. With a 2 × 2 × 2 experiment, the study found that people with independent self-construal are more likely to emulate males’ solo versus group travel, while females’ solo or group travel won't influence their travel intentions. And, people with interdependent self-construal are more inclined to follow females’ group versus solo travel, while males’ solo or group travel won't impact their travel intentions. The research revealed that psychological distance is the underlying mechanism. This research contributes to gender research in tourism, solo travel, and travel experience sharing, and offers guidance regarding online content management and social media marketing.