Abul Kalam, Md. Alamgir Hossain, Kim MinHo, Md. Rayhan Beg, and Samiya Rashid Nikhat
Abstract: Social media (SM) is a popular and powerful tool used in the tourism industry to connect tourists with specific experiences. In this study, we explore the relationship between SM and revisit intention (RI), the formation of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) networks, tourist satisfaction (TS), and ultimately, the development of the tourism sector (e.g., tourism development (TD)) based on the social learning theory. We used a structural equation model to identify direct and mediating relationships between variables. The model was based on perspectives provided by 395 individuals who had visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh. We confirmed that SM exerts a substantial direct and positive effect on TS, e-WOM, and TD, although we did not find an association between SM and RI. Likewise, e-WOM networks directly and positively impact RI, TS, and TD. RI, in turn, positively impacts TD, as TS also exerts a significant direct effect on RI and TD. TS and RI mediate the relationship between SM and TD, SM and RI, e-WOM and TD, as well as that of e-WOM and TD, TS and TD respectively. We were unable to identify a mediating role for TS in the relationship between e-WOM to RI, or for e-WOM in the SM and TS relationship. The relationships identified in this study are not merely of theoretical interest as relevant industry practitioners could use these insights to develop plans and guidelines for the use of SM networks to develop the sector.
Keywords: Social media, tourist satisfaction, electronic word-of-mouth, revisit intention, tourism development.