Destination Information Search in Social Media and Travel Intention of Generation Z University Students

ABSTRACT In an age of ubiquitous internet, social media has become a key source of travel information searches and channels of digital marketing. People everywhere are continually exposed to travel information content through social media, whether intended or not. By employing the concept of accidental discovery of information, this study identified the ability of accidental discovery versus purposeful search to affect tourists’ intentions to travel and recommend. Since the younger generations both in China and globally play the role of creating and interpreting trends, this study aimed to investigate the impact of social media usage behaviors in Chinese university students on domestic travel intention. The impact of information structure in social media, including content types and content creators, was further investigated. We found that accidental discovery had a greater impact on behavioral intention than purposeful search, and photo and video content provided a greater impact than text content. Significant influences from DMOs and user comments were also identified. The findings contribute to the knowledge on information searching behavior and digital marketing strategies in destination information dissemination.