Impacts of online word-of-mouth and personalities on intention to choose a destination

Abstract

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM), enabled by social media, has been widely recognized as an influential marketing tool. It has been suggested that personality influences how people accept information originating in eWOM, but most research has not connected personalities with behavioral intention or information use. This study aimed to assess the link between eWOM and personalities on intention to choose a tourism destination. The research model was developed from the Big Five personality model and the information adoption model (IAM). An analysis of 647 participants in Vietnam confirmed that IAM can predict behavioral intention for tourism destinations, thereby adding to the literature, which so far has mainly utilized the technology adoption model. The result also shows that personality (specifically the traits of agreeableness, extraversion, and imagination) affects information adoption regarding tourism destinations. However, the impact of personality on behavioral intention could only be partly explained by IAM, suggesting that other variables play a role. The findings suggest avenues for future research linking personality and eWOM, as well as ways for companies to improve their customer targeting and advertising content that can be involved in eWOM.