Date of Award
7-28-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Department
College of Business
First Advisor
Michelle M. Rego
Committee Members
Karen Silva; Larry W. Hughes
Abstract
User generated content (UGC) plays a significant role in tourism marketing by influencing the travel intentions of consumers. The advent of social media as a platform of digital connection significantly increases the user’s ability to reach audiences through electronic word of mouth advertising (eWOM). There has been significant research highlighting the importance of including UGC elements into tourism marketing strategies to influence purchase decisions, increase destination attitudes, and build the brand of a product or location. The research is lacking, however, in studies that examine the user’s motivation and barriers to participation in UGC marketing campaigns. By gaining understanding of the motivations and barriers for users to create and share UGC for marketing purposes destination marketers and tourism operators will be able to craft more effective UGC campaigns and curate enhanced libraries of content that display authentic experiences. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study seeks to understand leading factors to increased participation in UGC campaigns. The results are beneficial to the creation of more authentic and trustworthy brand messaging and the development of deeper engagement with visitors and residents alike as they share experiences related to the destination. This quantitative study used a convenience sample and survey-based methodology collecting data from United States based adults who have planned or are planning a trip. Data were analyzed using SPSS with a correlation matrix and stepwise regression to determine support for the hypotheses. Practical applications for destination marketers and tourism operators are discussed along with future research aims.
Recommended Citation
Lavin, Bryan, "Motivations and Barriers for User Generated Content Creation in Tourism Marketing Campaigns" (2024). JWU Dissertations & Theses. 16.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/jwu_etd/16
