Investigating the antecedents of tourists’ intention to use travel tracking mobile applications to follow other travelers’ experiences

Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose and test a theoretical model investigating factors that influence travelers’ intention to use travel-related information shared by other travelers through a novel category of travel-focused mobile applications, referred to as travel-tracking mobile applications (TTMAs). Design/methodology/approach Data collected from mobile app users who traveled for leisure purposes were used to test an extended version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2, adding trust and privacy concerns as new constructs to the existing framework. Findings The current study found empirical and significant evidence that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation and trust positively; and system privacy negatively influenced travelers’ intention to adopt TTMA to follow other travelers’ experiences. Research limitations/implications Limitations and directions for future research are widely explored in the final section of this study. Practical implications Practical implications for tourism, travel and hospitality technology companies, TTMA developers and entrepreneurs of travel-related and/or location-based mobile applications are discussed following the empirical findings of this study. Originality/value The current study findings add to the body of knowledge in the field of travel technology acceptance, and provide practical implications, especially for entrepreneurs and tourism technology vendors.