Investigating Online Social Media Network Acceptance in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Oman

Abstract

In the emerging tourism and hospitality industries such as that of Oman, companies can market their services and products using the Social Media Networks (hereafter SMNs) and engage customers to identify their requirements online. Oman recognizes the benefits of SMNs in the tourism and hospitality industry and it has made major efforts to ensure the success of this newly introduced industry like its neighboring country the United Arab Emirates (hereafter UAE). Even though, the hospitality industry is vital to the economy of Oman, the Omani hospitality industry continues employing the conventional approach while conducting transactions. Understanding the influence of accepting such an innovation in the hospitality industry in Oman raises a fruitful research question to investigate. Therefore, it is this study’s objective to examine the influence of SMNs Acceptance in the tourism and hospitality industry in Oman. For the attainment of the study’s objective, the study uses a survey questionnaire to 200 respondents that have visited Oman recently, where 182 responses were properly filled and returned. The structural equation modeling (hereafter SEM) had been utilized to analyze the collected data. The results reveal that the respondents had high degree of satisfaction with their travel experience and they intended to continue using SMNs for tourism purposes. Nonetheless, it was found that the major factors influencing their decisions are: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms and reliability.