In this contemporary world, electronic word of mouth (eWOM) platforms (or media) have become a prerequisite information source for online surfers, especially when planning excursions. However, tourists refer to the reviews of these platforms based on utilitarian and hedonic aspects. The utilitarian value enhances users’ task performance, whereas the hedonic value is related to pleasure and inner feelings. The present work was undertaken to study the importance of various utilitarian and hedonic determinants, and analyses their influence on the perceived usefulness (PU) of eWOM media and subsequent online booking decisions (OBD) for tourist destinations in India. In addition, the study investigates whether the influence of PU of eWOM media on OBD varies according to gender. A conceptual model was introduced based on data analysis done through SPSS 23 and AMOS 23. The model was empirically validated based on sample data comprising 338 Indian tourists. The purposive sampling technique was used in the current study, and only those samples who referred to eWOM media for information search were accepted. The findings indicate that utilitarian and hedonic determinants significantly influence tourist decision-making. TripAdvisor was the most popular web portal, followed by other social networking sites among the preferred sources of tourist destination information. The moderating analysis revealed that the impact of eWOM media PU on OBD was higher in males than in females. The study suggests that website designers and administrators design the contents according to the needs identified.

The present study aims to focus on the factors influencing the wellness customer to involve in electronic word of mouth and evaluate and measure the relationship between them. For this, the study followed three research phases: identification of factors through a review of literature, using expert opinion for selecting essential and relevant factors for the study, and applying a total interpretive structural modelling approach to reflect the appropriate association between different factors. A total of eleven factors, including the four that surfaced during the discussion with the experts, were service experience, gratitude, moral obligation, and trust. The other seven were altruism, hedonic value, self-enhancement, social affiliation, venting emotions, advice seeking, and economic incentive. These eleven factors were partitioned into four levels through the iteration process. The factors were categorised under independent, dependent, and linkage using MICMAC analysis. The results highlight a strong influence of economic incentives on wellness customers to engage in electronic word of mouth. The suggested model provides valuable insights to marketing practitioners and researchers that may assist them in designing campaigns around these factors in order to maximise the engagement of wellness customers through electronic word of mouth.

The present study explores the influence of tourists’ attitude (TATT), subjective norms (TSN), and perceived behavioral control (TPBC) on their intention to visit homestays (TIVHS) in Chota Chardham, the four prominent religious destinations in Uttarakhand. The study further examines the moderating effect of extrinsic and intrinsic religiosity on these relationships. Using a purposive sampling technique, 366 completed questionnaires were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SPSS 26). The results reveal that TSN is the most significant predictor of TIVHS, followed by TATT and TPBC. Moreover, religiosity significantly moderates the relationships between TATT, TSN, and TIVHS, while its moderating effect on TPBC and TIVHS was not supported. This study contributes to the religious tourism literature by integrating TPB with religiosity, offering fresh insights into the role of intrinsic and extrinsic religious motivations in shaping homestay choices. The findings provide functional recommendations for tourism stakeholders, highlighting the need to emphasize cultural, spiritual, and community-driven experiences to enhance tourist engagement in homestays.

This study seeks to explore the psychological and behavioral drivers shaping Indian consumers’ adoption of private chef services by expanding the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with two critical yet underexplored dimensions—past culinary experiences and perceived risk. Using a judgmental sampling approach, data from 478 respondents were analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS 26 to examine the relationships between observed and latent constructs within the proposed framework. The results validate the expanded TPB framework, revealing that attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, past culinary experiences, and risk perception collectively drive Indian consumers’ intent to book private chefs. Notably, behavioral attitude mediates the relationship between risk perception and booking intention. In contrast, perceived behavioral control does not exhibit a mediating effect between risk perception and booking intention. The findings provide actionable insights to accelerate market penetration and consumer adoption of private chef services across India’s metropolitan centres, where demand for premium dining experiences is rising.