Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2016.1189841
Does eWOM influence destination trust and travel intention: a medical tourism perspective
Abubakar Mohammed Abubakar
Abstract
Virtual community membership has a strong influence on a tourist’s
behaviours and the way information is transmitted. Drawing on
trust transfer theory as a theoretical framework, this study tests an
empirical model that investigates the influence of electronic wordof-
mouth (eWOM) on destination trust and travel intention. The study also diagnoses gender differences in the proposed model. Data
were obtained from a sample of 216 tourists in Cyprus. The findings
from regression analyses suggest that eWOM is positively related to
travel intention; eWOM is positively related to destination trust; and
destination trust is positively related to travel intention. Additionally,
the impact of eWOM on destination trust was significant for both
genders but stronger for men, while the impact of destination trust
on travel intention was stronger for women. The paper extends the
existing literature regarding new response variables associated with
eWOM.
Keywords
eWOM; destination trust; gender; travel intention; tourism
Hrčak ID:
171747
URI
Publication date:
22.12.2016.
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