Unlocking Solo Female Travelers’ CUI of M-Travel Apps with the Moderating Lens of Their Age and Travel Frequency

Purpose : Scholarly publications called for a more in-depth investigation of Asian solo female travel experiences, especially from developing countries like India, where male-dominated ideologies and other safety issues heavily influence women’s behaviors and choices. This study developed and tested a theory-driven model that empirically examined the factors influencing solo female travelers’ continued intention to use mobile travel apps. Methodology : The authors collected data from 276 solo female travelers to validate the hypothesis using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Among the factors analyzed, hedonic value (HV) emerged as the most influential in shaping continued usage intentions (CUI)—surpassing UV—highlighting that enjoyment, excitement, and experiential benefits played a central role in solo female travelers’ decisions to keep using mobile travel apps. Additionally, innovativeness, perceived risk, performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), and subjective norms significantly influenced HV and UV. Findings : The study found that age and frequency of travel did not significantly moderate the relationships between the key predictors and CUI. The result suggested that regardless of age or travel frequency, solo female travelers shared similar expectations and motivations regarding mobile travel app usage. Implications : This research made a meaningful theoretical contribution by offering more profound insights into the travel behavior of solo female travelers, thereby supporting the development and refinement of relevant behavioral theories. Practically, the findings provide actionable guidance for online travel agencies (OTAs), hotel providers, and hospitality tech vendors to design more targeted marketing and engagement strategies that enhance app usage among this growing traveler segment. Originality : This paper was written in its purest form, with the idea of research developed and operationalized by the authors.