Digital Tourism Behaviour and Platform Usage in the Post-COVID-19 Era
Abstract
This study examines digital tourism behaviour in the post-COVID-19 era, focusing on changes in the use of online tourism platforms from a user perspective.
The study applies the Uses and Gratifications Theory to understand motivations influencing engagement with digital tourism services. A quantitative survey design was used, with data collected from 204 respondents. The study compares pre-pandemic and post-pandemic patterns of digital platform use for tourism-related activities. Descriptive analysis and correlation tests were used to examine the relationship between user gratifications and engagement with digital tourism platforms.
The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic substantially increased reliance on digital platforms for tourism search and planning. Informational, emotional, social, and tension-release gratifications were found to be positively associated with the use of digital tourism platforms in the post-pandemic period. The results also show a shift in user perceptions toward greater acceptance of digital tools for travel-related decision-making. The study concludes that digital tourism platforms have become an important component of post-pandemic travel behaviour, and understanding user motivation provides useful insights for improving digital tourism services and enhancing user experience in the evolving tourism industry.
This study extends the application of Uses and Gratifications Theory to the post-COVID-19 tourism context by comparing digital tourism behaviour before and after the pandemic. It provides empirical evidence on the motivations driving engagement with digital tourism platforms and offers insights that can help tourism stakeholders improve digital services and enhance user experiences.
References
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Katz, E., Haas, H., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). On the use of the mass media for important things. American Sociological Review, 38(2), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094393
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Lin, H. F., & Chen, C. H. (2017). Combining the technology acceptance model and uses and gratifications theory to examine the usage behavior of an augmented reality tour-sharing application. Symmetry, 9(7), 113. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym9070113
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Bracken, C., & Lombard, M. (2009). Uses and gratifications: A classic methodology revisited. New Jersey Journal of Communication, 9(1), 103–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870109367401
Buckley, R., & Westaway, D. (2020). Mental health rescue effects of women’s outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery. Annals of Tourism Research, 85, 103041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2020.103041
Canale, N., Marino, C., Lenzi, M., Vieno, A., Griffiths, M. D., Gaboardi, M., Giraldo, M., Cervone, C., & Massimo, S. (2021). How communication technology fosters individual and social wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Preliminary support for a digital interaction model. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-021-00421-1
Chavez, L., Ruiz, C., Curras, R., & Hernandez, B. (2020). The role of travel motivations and social media use in consumer interactive behaviour: A uses and gratifications perspective. Sustainability, 12(21), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218789
De’, R., Pandey, N., & Pal, A. (2020). Impact of digital surge during COVID-19 pandemic: A viewpoint on research and practice. International Journal of Information Management, 55, 102171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102171
Florenthal, B. (2019). Young consumers’ motivational drivers of brand engagement behavior on social media sites: A synthesized U&G and TAM framework. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 13(3), 351–391. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-05-2018-0064
Gabbiadini, A., Baldissarri, C., Durante, F., Valtorta, R. R., de Rosa, M., & Gallucci, M. (2020). Together apart: The mitigating role of digital communication technologies on negative affect during the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.554678
Genzorová, T., Čorejová, T., & Stalmašeková, N. (2018, March 21). Comparing the use of digital platforms in tourism. CBU International Conference on Innovations in Science and Education. https://doi.org/10.12955/cbup.v6.1148
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Gretzel, U., Fuchs, M., Baggio, R., Hoepken, W., Law, R., Neidhardt, J., Pesonen, J., Zanker, M., & Xiang, Z. (2020). e-Tourism beyond COVID-19: A call for transformative research. Information Technology and Tourism, 22(2), 187–203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00181-3
Ho, C. T. B., & Gebsombut, N. (2019). Communication factors affecting tourist adoption of social network sites. Sustainability, 11(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154198
Ho, K., & See-To, E. (2018). The impact of the uses and gratifications of tourist attraction fan page. Internet Research, 28(3), 587–603. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-04-2017-0175
Hossain, M. A. (2019). Effects of uses and gratifications on social media use. PSU Research Review, 3(1), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.1108/PRR-07-2018-0023
Ikeda, K., & Marshall, A. (2019). Strategies for competing in markets enabled by digital platforms. Strategy and Leadership, 47(1), 30–36. https://doi.org/10.1108/SL-10-2018-0097
Ivanov, S. H., & Webster, C. (2020). Biosecurity, automation technologies and economic resilience of travel, tourism and hospitality companies. Tourism Economics, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816620946541
Jarratt, D. (2021). An exploration of webcam-travel: Connecting to place and nature through webcams during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 21(2), 156–168. https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358420963370
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Johnson, J. (2022, January 21). Age distribution of internet users worldwide 2019. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/272365/age-distribution-of-internet-users-worldwide/
Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). Uses and gratifications research. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509–523. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2747854
Katz, E., Haas, H., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). On the use of the mass media for important things. American Sociological Review, 38(2), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094393
Kaye, B. K. (1998). Uses and gratifications of the World Wide Web: From couch potato to web potato. New Jersey Journal of Communication, 6(1), 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/15456879809367333
Kim, M. J., Lee, C. K., & Preis, M. W. (2020). The impact of innovation and gratification on authentic experience, subjective well-being, and behavioral intention in tourism virtual reality: The moderating role of technology readiness. Telematics and Informatics, 49, 101349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2020.101349
Ko, H., Cho, C. H., & Roberts, M. S. (2005). Internet uses and gratifications: A structural equation model of interactive advertising. Journal of Advertising, 34(2), 57–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2005.10639191
Kumar R, S., Rinu F, M., Nazmul H, M., & Islam, J. (2020). Reviewing YouTube as a compelling tool for the promotion of tourism. International Journal of Management Reviews. https://doi.org/10.34104/ijma.020.0960104
Li, Y., Song, H., & Guo, R. (2021). A study on the causal process of virtual reality tourism and its attributes in terms of their effects on subjective well-being during COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031019
Lim, W. M., & Ting, D. H. (2012). E-shopping: An analysis of the uses and gratifications theory. Modern Applied Science, 6(5), 48–63. https://doi.org/10.5539/mas.v6n5p48
Lin, C. (1999). Uses and gratifications. In Clarifying communication theories (pp. 199–208). Iowa State University Press. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325673264
Lin, H. F., & Chen, C. H. (2017). Combining the technology acceptance model and uses and gratifications theory to examine the usage behavior of an augmented reality tour-sharing application. Symmetry, 9(7), 113. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym9070113
Mathew, V., & Soliman, M. (2021). Does digital content marketing affect tourism consumer behavior? An extension of technology acceptance model. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(1), 61–75. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1854
Mendes-Filho, L., Corrêa, C., & Mangueira, M. (2015). Online travel reviews on mobile applications when making travel plans: Uses and gratifications perspectives. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286926158_Online_Travel_Reviews_on_Mobile_Applications_when_making_travel_plans_Uses_and_Gratifications_perspectives
Minoia, P., & Jokela, S. (2021). Platform-mediated tourism: Social justice and urban governance before and during COVID-19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1922426
Mizrachi, I., & Gretzel, U. (2020). Collaborating against COVID-19: Bridging travel and travel tech. Information Technology and Tourism, 22(4), 489–496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-020-00192-0
Molinillo, S., Liébana-Cabanillas, F., Anaya-Sánchez, R., & Buhalis, D. (2018). DMO online platforms: Image and intention to visit. Tourism Management, 65, 116–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2017.09.021
Nicholson, B., Nielsen, P., & Saebo, J. (2021). Special issue: Digital platforms for development. Information Systems Journal, 31(6), 863–868. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12364
Novotný, J. S., Gonzalez-Rivas, J. P., Kunzová, Š., Skladaná, M., Pospíšilová, A., Polcrová, A., Medina-Inojosa, J. R., Lopez-Jimenez, F., Geda, Y. E., & Stokin, G. B. (2020). Association between stress and depressive symptoms and the COVID-19 pandemic. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.28.20163113
OECD. (2019). What is an “online platform”? In An introduction to online platforms and their role in the digital transformation (pp. 19–26). https://doi.org/10.1787/19e6a0f0-en
Orîndaru, A., Popescu, M.-F., Alexoaei, A. P., Căescu, Ș.-C., Florescu, M. S., & Orzan, A.-O. (2021). Tourism in a post-COVID-19 era: Sustainable strategies for industry’s recovery. Sustainability, 13(12), 6781. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126781
Papacharissi, Z., & Rubin, A. M. (2000). Predictors of internet use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 44(2), 175–196. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15506878jobem4402_2
Pocinho, M., Vieira, N. G. S., Nunes, C., & Nechita, F. (2021). Sustainable customer digital engagement strategies for the tourism recovery perspective. Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series V: Economic Sciences, 14(63). https://doi.org/10.31926/but.es.2021.14.63.1.5
Rokni, L. (2021). The psychological consequences of COVID-19 pandemic in tourism sector: A systematic review. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 50(9), 1743. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v50i9.7045
Romero, L. (2018). Touristification, sharing economies and the new geography of urban conflicts. Urban Science, 2(4), 104. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2040104
Ruggiero, T. E. (2000). Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Mass Communication & Society, 3(1), 3–37. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327825MCS0301_02
Santoso, S., Hapsari, P. A., Difoasih, G., & Prianto, S. E. (2021). Analysis of public interest in online tourism in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. JELAJAH: Journal of Tourism and Hospitality, 3(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.33830/jelajah.v3i1.1745
Schiopu, A. F., Hornoiu, R. I., Padurean, M. A., & Nica, A. M. (2021). Virus tinged? Exploring the facets of virtual reality use in tourism as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telematics and Informatics, 60, 101575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101575
Schuckert, M., Liu, X., & Law, R. (2015). Hospitality and tourism online reviews: Recent trends and future directions. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 32(5), 608–621. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2014.933154
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Published
2026-08-28
How to Cite
SHAHEEN, Zarqa; BAEZA, Danitza.
Digital Tourism Behaviour and Platform Usage in the Post-COVID-19 Era.
Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, [S.l.], v. 17, n. 3, p. 320 - 341, aug. 2026.
ISSN 2068-7729.
Available at: <https://journals.aserspublishing.eu/jemt/article/view/9617>. Date accessed: 02 sep. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v17.3(83).07.
Section
Article
Copyright© 2025 The Author(s). Published by ASERS Publishing 2025. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of CC-BY 4.0 license.