Green tourism intentions driven by social media: The influence of electronic word-of-mouth and environmental awareness

Abstract

The study aims to examine the influence of information sharing on social media on the green tourism intentions of the young. It examines the mediating roles of electronic word-of-mouth and environmental awareness in the relationship between social media information sharing (SMIS) and green tourism intentions (GTIs). Data were collected online from 412 respondents from South India aged between 18 to 35 Findings portrayed that social media information sharing positively impacts green tourism intentions both directly and indirectly via electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and environmental awareness. Electronic word-of-mouth demonstrated a stronger mediating effect than environmental awareness (EA), underlining its significance in shaping sustainable tourism behaviour. Results provide valuable insights for tourism organizations to optimize green tourism marketing strategies by leveraging social media platforms. The study fills a critical research gap by exploring how digital interactions foster sustainable tourism goals among young social media users.