This study aims to investigate whether social media engagement can enhance trust and commitment among budget hotel customers, ultimately increasing their intention to rebook. In addition, this study explores the mediating roles of trust and commitment in the relationship between social media engagement and customer loyalty in the low-cost accommodation segment.
A quantitative survey is conducted among 240 Indian respondents who follow budget hotels on Facebook. The measurement items are adapted from the established literature. The model is analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0 to test the hypothesized relationships.
The results indicate that social media engagement significantly and positively affects both trust and commitment. Trust also positively influences commitment and rebooking intention. However, the direct path from engagement to rebooking intention is not significant, confirming that trust and commitment partially mediate this relationship.
This research extends the commitment–trust theory into the budget hotel context, revealing how social media engagement drives customer loyalty through the sequential mediating roles of trust and commitment. Moreover, it provides a validated empirical model and actionable insights for hotel marketers seeking to improve rebooking rates through digital engagement.
