Motivations and outcomes of tourists’ engagement behaviours on social media

Purpose – Social media are increasingly used by tourists for travel purposes. While social media engagement is a complex concept, previous research simplifies it using basic metrics, such as the count of likes or comments. This study adopts a comprehensive framework that measures different levels of tourists’ engagement behaviours and analyses thoroughly their motivations and outcomes. Methodology/Design/Approach – This study collected information from a survey of 454 tourists visiting Hue City – a famous tourism destination that is widely promoted on social media in Vietnam. The hypotheses were examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings – The research result reveals that recognition, information, and entertainment are essential motives for tourists’ engagement behaviours. Furthermore, behaviours related to consuming and producing content positively affect tourists’ destination advocacy and revisit intention, while there is no linkage between contributing behaviours and these outcomes. Originality of the research – This study deepens our understanding of consumer behaviour on social media and offers valuable guidance for businesses and organisations to better optimise their marketing strategies.