Service innovation and value acquisition on in-destination tour service

The adoption of internet-enabled service innovations has become an increasingly important focus in in-destination tour services. However, the effects of these services, particularly in the context of self-service and group travel, remain underexplored. This study develops a framework based on the service innovation model to examine how new service concepts, system concepts, and customer interactions influence value acquisition and tourists’ usage intention of in-destination services. Experience–expectation satisfaction (EES) is incorporated as a moderating factor in these relationships. Data were collected from 756 consumers who experienced in-destination tour services and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results indicate that service innovation components significantly enhance cocreated and experience value, which in turn positively influence usage intention. Moreover, high EES strengthens the relationship between value acquisition and usage intention. This study contributes to tourism research by extending the service innovation framework to in-destination services and highlighting the importance of managing consumer expectations. Practically, it suggests that platforms and local tour agencies can improve engagement and satisfaction by offering customized, distinctive experiences and enhancing interactions between customers, sellers, and platforms. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution, as the sample is predominantly composed of younger, female, and digitally engaged independent travelers, which may limit the generalizability of the results to broader tourist populations.