Trustfulness in online social media sources versus other sources of travel information (n = 406)
| Item | Frequency and percent (%) (1 = Strongly disagree; 7 = Strongly agree) | Mean | SD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
| UGC in social media (mean = 4.86) | |||||||||
| I trust information from travellers on microblogs and blogs | 4 | 8 | 10 | 74 | 180 | 116 | 14 | 5.02 | 1.041 |
| 1.0% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 18.2% | 44.3% | 28.57% | 3.5% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on social networking sites | 3 | 11 | 15 | 76 | 167 | 121 | 13 | 4.99 | 1.126 |
| 0.7% | 2.7% | 3.7% | 18.7% | 41.1% | 29.8% | 3.2% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on tourism social networking | 3 | 14 | 20 | 98 | 164 | 95 | 12 | 4.82 | 1.190 |
| 0.7% | 3.5% | 4.9% | 24.1% | 40.4% | 23.4% | 3.0% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on commercial tourism communities | 2 | 12 | 18 | 105 | 166 | 92 | 11 | 4.83 | 1.088 |
| 0.5% | 3.0% | 4.4% | 25.9% | 40.9% | 22.7% | 2.7% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on third-party tourism communities | 1 | 12 | 13 | 66 | 146 | 139 | 29 | 5.16 | 1.201 |
| 0.3% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 16.3% | 36.0% | 34.2% | 7.1% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on content communities | 7 | 13 | 31 | 110 | 136 | 98 | 11 | 4.71 | 1.408 |
| 1.7% | 3.2% | 7.6% | 27.1% | 33.5% | 24.1% | 2.7% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on collaborative projects | 10 | 25 | 38 | 114 | 128 | 79 | 12 | 4.50 | 1.673 |
| 2.5% | 6.2% | 9.4% | 28.1% | 31.5% | 19.5% | 3.0% | |||
| Traditional WOM (mean = 5.42; t = 12.513; p < 0.05) | |||||||||
| I trust information from friends, relatives or other acquaintances | 0 | 3 | 7 | 39 | 121 | 180 | 56 | 5.57 | 0.908 |
| 0.0% | 0.7% | 17% | 9.6% | 29.8% | 44.3% | 13.8% | |||
| I trust information that people tell me face-to-face | 1 | 8 | 12 | 65 | 129 | 155 | 36 | 5.27 | 1.161 |
| 0.3% | 2.0% | 3.0% | 16.0% | 31.8% | 38.2% | 8.9% | |||
| Traditional source of information (mean = 4.52; t = −7.310; p < 0.05) | |||||||||
| I trust information provided on state tourism websites | 2 | 11 | 32 | 73 | 102 | 130 | 56 | 5.16 | 1.669 |
| 0.5% | 2.7% | 7.9% | 18.0% | 25.1% | 32% | 13.8% | |||
| I trust information provided by travel agents | 17 | 30 | 73 | 126 | 105 | 49 | 6 | 4.09 | 1.723 |
| 4.2% | 7.4% | 18.0% | 31.0% | 25.9% | 12.1% | 1.5% | |||
| I trust information from commercial operators and/or accommodation sites | 9 | 16 | 58 | 132 | 130 | 55 | 6 | 4.35 | 1.378 |
| 2.2% | 3.9% | 14.3% | 32.5% | 32.0% | 13.6% | 1.5% | |||
| I trust information received through mass media advertising, such as television, newspaper | 5 | 18 | 48 | 126 | 142 | 58 | 9 | 4.46 | 1.320 |
| 1.2% | 4.4% | 11.8% | 31.0% | 35.0% | 14.3% | 2.2% | |||
| Item | Frequency and percent (%) | Mean | SD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||
| I trust information from travellers on microblogs and blogs | 4 | 8 | 10 | 74 | 180 | 116 | 14 | ||
| 1.0% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 18.2% | 44.3% | 28.57% | 3.5% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on social networking sites | 3 | 11 | 15 | 76 | 167 | 121 | 13 | ||
| 0.7% | 2.7% | 3.7% | 18.7% | 41.1% | 29.8% | 3.2% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on tourism social networking | 3 | 14 | 20 | 98 | 164 | 95 | 12 | ||
| 0.7% | 3.5% | 4.9% | 24.1% | 40.4% | 23.4% | 3.0% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on commercial tourism communities | 2 | 12 | 18 | 105 | 166 | 92 | 11 | ||
| 0.5% | 3.0% | 4.4% | 25.9% | 40.9% | 22.7% | 2.7% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on third-party tourism communities | 1 | 12 | 13 | 66 | 146 | 139 | 29 | ||
| 0.3% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 16.3% | 36.0% | 34.2% | 7.1% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on content communities | 7 | 13 | 31 | 110 | 136 | 98 | 11 | ||
| 1.7% | 3.2% | 7.6% | 27.1% | 33.5% | 24.1% | 2.7% | |||
| I trust information from travellers on collaborative projects | 10 | 25 | 38 | 114 | 128 | 79 | 12 | ||
| 2.5% | 6.2% | 9.4% | 28.1% | 31.5% | 19.5% | 3.0% | |||
| I trust information from friends, relatives or other acquaintances | 0 | 3 | 7 | 39 | 121 | 180 | 56 | ||
| 0.0% | 0.7% | 17% | 9.6% | 29.8% | 44.3% | 13.8% | |||
| I trust information that people tell me face-to-face | 1 | 8 | 12 | 65 | 129 | 155 | 36 | ||
| 0.3% | 2.0% | 3.0% | 16.0% | 31.8% | 38.2% | 8.9% | |||
| I trust information provided on state tourism websites | 2 | 11 | 32 | 73 | 102 | 130 | 56 | ||
| 0.5% | 2.7% | 7.9% | 18.0% | 25.1% | 32% | 13.8% | |||
| I trust information provided by travel agents | 17 | 30 | 73 | 126 | 105 | 49 | 6 | ||
| 4.2% | 7.4% | 18.0% | 31.0% | 25.9% | 12.1% | 1.5% | |||
| I trust information from commercial operators and/or accommodation sites | 9 | 16 | 58 | 132 | 130 | 55 | 6 | ||
| 2.2% | 3.9% | 14.3% | 32.5% | 32.0% | 13.6% | 1.5% | |||
| I trust information received through mass media advertising, such as television, newspaper | 5 | 18 | 48 | 126 | 142 | 58 | 9 | ||
| 1.2% | 4.4% | 11.8% | 31.0% | 35.0% | 14.3% | 2.2% | |||
Note(s): UGC, user-generated content; WOM, word of mouth
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