This study aims to examine how social media usage (SMU) and fear of missing out (FOMO) influence service inclusion (SI), conceptualized as a second-order formative construct comprising enabling opportunity, offering choice, relieving suffering and fostering happiness and how SI subsequently shapes the well-being of tourists with mobility-related impairments. Grounded in social influence theory (SIT) and self-determination theory (SDT), the study explores how digital engagement and emotional responses contribute to inclusive tourism experiences.
A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used. In the quantitative phase, data were collected through an offline survey from 378 tourists with mobility-related disabilities across four major cities in Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 participants to explore the emotional and contextual dimensions of inclusion and digital engagement.
SMU positively influences both SI and FOMO, while FOMO further strengthens SI. SI, in turn, significantly enhances tourists’ hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Formative measurement results indicate that all four SI dimensions contribute significantly, with fostering happiness and enabling opportunity emerging as the strongest contributors. Qualitative findings reveal interconnected themes that deepen understanding of inclusive tourism experiences, including emotional safety, staff empathy, advocacy behaviour and the empowering role of social media.
This study advances the literature by identifying SMU and FOMO as socially and emotionally relevant antecedents of SI, and by modelling SI as a second-order formative construct, thereby addressing recent methodological concerns regarding higher-order construct specification. By situating the analysis in a digitally emerging and underrepresented context (Pakistan), the study extends SIT and SDT into the inclusion domain and offers actionable insights for designing more inclusive and empowering tourism services.
