여행 중 온라인 여행 커뮤니티에서의 지식공유: 온라인 커뮤니티 참여와 공유지식 품질이 관광만족에 미치는 영향

Online travel communities are virtual social networks in which community members seek information about travel-related products and tourism destinations, share their knowledge relating to travel, and, therefore, engage in social interactions. During the trip, online travelers tend to access online travel communities in order to find solutions for their problems and support from other community members, or to get information to change their trip plans. Consequently, travelers’ perception of shared knowledge in the online travel communities and their community participation level during the trip may predict travelers’ attitudes toward online travel communities and even lead their successful travel experiences. This study proposed the conceptual model testing the effects of community participation and quality of shared travel knowledge in online travel communities on community usefulness, community satisfaction, and overall travel satisfaction. A total of 342 data was collected from survey participants who had used online travel communities during the trip. Data analysis using structural equation modeling identified: (1) the positive relationships of quality of knowledge with perceived usefulness and satisfaction with online travel communities, (2) and the positive relationship between community participation and satisfaction with online travel communities. Community participation, however, did not affect perceived usefulness of online travel communities. The study results also revealed the positive impact of perceived usefulness and satisfaction with online travel communities on overall travel satisfaction. Implications for theory and practice were discussed.