How do social media influencers and green knowledge sharing on social media promote tourists’ revisiting behavioural intentions? A time-lagged study

Abstract

In the circular economy, the existing literature on tourism and marketing has revealed very few studies investigating how firms’ green knowledge-sharing policies drive travellers’ revisiting behavioural intention, constituting a significant gap that needs to be studied. Drawing on the service-dominant logic theory, this study unravels (a) the multiple mediating roles of pro-environmental behaviours and warm glow and (b) the moderated mediation role of green trustworthiness of social media influencer in the relationship between green knowledge sharing and revisiting behavioural intention. A quantitative study was employed based on time-lagged survey data collected from 1,694 respondents in Vietnam. The research findings support our prediction that two variables, travellers’ pro-environmental behaviours and warm glow, can mediate the relationship between a firm’s green knowledge sharing and travellers’ revisiting behavioural intention. Additionally, the study finds that the green trustworthiness of social media influencers can moderate the mediating relationship (via pro-environmental behaviours). However, unexpectedly, green trustworthiness does not moderate the mediating relationship via a warm glow. These findings are critical to contributing to the business implications, focusing on using online strategies and green knowledge sharing by social media influencers to foster responsible tourism and enhance green marketing, ultimately aiding sustainable development.