What motivates tourists to share online

Abstract

Not all modern tourists are enthusiastic about sharing their feelings and experiences regarding destinations online after their travels. This creates barriers for tourism service providers, as their service is more likely to be known by the public after the information concerning it is more transmitted. Our previous studies found that using rewards could motivate tourists to share on social media. By carrying out two experiments, this study further examined whom we should reward, and what we should reward in the referral reward systems (RRSs). Our findings indicated that both reward types (social mechanisms and direct rewards) should be provided to online sharers who perceived a large social distance from their peers. However, the outcomes of social mechanisms were more effective than those of direct rewards. This study provides scholars and practitioners insights on how to design efficient and cost-effective RRSs.