Interactivity, engagement, trust, purchase intention and word-of-mouth: a moderated mediation study

This paper presents a model of influence of interactivity and engagement on hotel customers' purchase intention and word-of-mouth by simultaneously including trust as a mediator, analyses the direct and indirect effects among these constructs and examines the moderated mediation effect of brand loyalty. In the proposed model, purchase intention and word-of-mouth are indirectly affected by interactivity and engagement respectively in the hospitality industry, via the mediation of trust. Besides, the indirect effect of interactivity on purchase intention and engagement on word-of-mouth through trust will be stronger with higher brand loyalty than for those with lower brand loyalty. Empirical testing using a survey of 408 Taiwan consumers in hospitality and tourism confirms our hypothesised effects. Finally, managerial implications and limitations of our findings are discussed.