Intention to Use Online Social Network for Travel Purposes: A Case Study at 3 Bangkok-based Universities

Abstract

This study aims to identify how differences in terms of college students’ characteristics affect these students’ perception of the use of Online Social Networks (OSNs) and intention to use OSNs for travel purposes. The conceptual framework and its hypotheses have been tested by means of three approaches based on Independent Sample T-test, One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation. A research survey was conducted on a sample of 383 students at three Bangkok-based universities, who are members of OSNs and have taken a trip in the previous 12 month. The findings reveal that females perceived higher benefits (functional and social) using OSNs for travel purposes than their male counterparts. And differences in the respondents’ nationalities, gender and disposable money result in perceived differences with regard to trust incentives to use OSNs for travel purposes. Moreover, the intention to use OSNs for travel purposes are directly influenced by the perceived benefits of that use (functional, social and hedonic); it was also determined that incentives such as trust, altruism and the socio-technical environment facilitate and promote the use of OSNs when organizing and taking vacation trips.