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Social Sciences and Humanities Issue (Vietnamese)
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28/04/2026
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Nguyen, T. H. N., Nguyen, T. T. V., & Phan, T. T. D. (2026). The influence of the Facebook social network on the destination choice decision of Generation Z tourists: The case of Hue destination. Dong Thap University Journal of Science, 15(9), 94-108. https://doi.org/10.52714/dthu.sch.2544.1811
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The influence of the Facebook social network on the destination choice decision of Generation Z tourists: The case of Hue destination
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Abstract
Social networks has become a crucial information channel for Generation Z, offering quick and reliable access to information that influences their travel decisions. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the influence of Facebook on Generation Z tourists' choices of Hue as a tourist destination. It examined four key factors: perceived usefulness of information, credibility of information, electronic word of mouth (eWOM), and users' attitudes towards Facebook. The study analyzed 203 Generation Z tourists visiting Hue and employed the structural equation modeling method with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) to analyze and process the data. The results show that usefulness, trustworthiness, eWOM, and attitude toward Facebook all positively influence Generation Z tourists' decision to visit Hue. In addition, the study also demonstrates that attitude toward Facebook plays a mediating role in the relationship between usefulness and trustworthiness in Generation Z's decision to choose Hue as a destination. Thereby, some managerial implications are proposed for local tourism marketers to improve content quality and build trust on Facebook so that it can attract Generation Z tourists to Hue more effectively.
Keywords
Facebook, decision making, Generation Z, Hue, travel destination.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
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Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94.
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173–1182.
Basco, A. A. R., Mejia, Z. J. L., & Gueco, I. S. (n.d.). (2021). Social media and its influence to tourist decision making and preferences. International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 9(1), 231–247.
Bassiouni, D. H., & Hackley, C. (2014). ‘Generation Z’ children’s adaptation to digital consumer culture: A critical literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(2), 1021-1044.
Behan, M. (2014) Efficacy of Facebook Fans: Can They Influence Perception of the Brand? Journal of Business and Management, 2, 281-291.
Betz, C.L. (2019). Generations X, Y, and Z. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 44, A7-A8.
Binder, D., Lukas, C., & Szabó, Z. (2017). The impact of user-generated content on Facebook on travel destination choices: A comparison of Austrian tourism students and non-tourism students. In Forum on Economics and Business, 20(131), 56-77.
Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of computer‐mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230.
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Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Dalimocon, J. N., Igcasama, R. M., & Quimbo, H. M. E. (2022). Attributes of Facebook influencing tourists’ decisions on visiting tourist destinations. International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS), 5(11), 97-118.
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS quarterly, 319-340.
Dimock, M. (2019). Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/.
Djafarova, E., & Bowes, T. (2021). “Instagram made me buy it”: Generation Z impulse purchases in the fashion industry. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102345.
Djafarova, E., & Foots, S. (2022). Exploring ethical consumption of Generation Z: Theory of planned behaviour. Young Consumers, 23(3), 413–431.
Ebo, S. (2022, August). Globalisation and social media: Impacts of Facebook on the contemporary order. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 10(6), 1-6.
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), 1143–1168.
Farzin, M., Bagheri Abbassalikosh, A., Sadeghi, M., & Makvandi, R. (2021). The effect of sensory brand experience and brand equity on WTP a price premium in Iranian fast food restaurants: Mediating role of eWOM. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 26(3), 528–548.
Garson, G. D. (2016). Partial Least Squares (PLS-Sem). Statistical Associates Publishing.
Gebsombut, N., & Ho, C.-T. B., (2019), Drivers of social network adoption in post-travel phase: An empirical study in Thai tourists. Cogent Business Management, 6(1), 1702837 .
Gefen, D., Karahanna, E., & Straub, D. W. (2003). Trust and TAM in online shopping: An integrated model. MIS quarterly, 51-90.
Gefen, D., Karahanna, E., & Straub, D. W. (2003). Trust and TAM in online shopping: An integrated model. MIS quarterly, 51-90.
González-Rodríguez, M.R., Díaz-Fernández, M.C., Bilgihan, A., Okumus, F., & Shi, F. (2022). The impact of eWOM source credibility on destination visit intention and online involvement: A case of Chinese tourists. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 13(5), 855-874.
Hair et al. (2016), A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), Second Edition, Sage Publications, New York.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2021). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hair, J.F., Risher, J.J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C.M. (2019). When to use and how to report theresults of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2-24.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.
Höck, M.W., & Ringle, C.M. (2010). Local strategic networks in the software industry: An empirical analysis of the value continuum. International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 4(2).
Hsu, C.-L., Lin, J. C.-C., & Chiang, H.-S. (2013). The effects of blogger recommendations on customers’ online shopping intentions. Internet Research, 23(1), 69–88.
Kahawandala, N., Peter, S., & Niwunhella, H. (2020). Profiling purchasing behavior of Generation Z. In 2020 International Research Conference on Smart Computing and Systems Engineering (SCSE), SE-03, 158-162.
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 53(1), 59-68.
Keelson, S. A., Bruce, E., Egala, S. B., Amoah, J., & Bashiru Jibril, A. (2024). Driving forces of social media and its impact on tourists’ destination decisions: a uses and gratification theory. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1).
Long, H.P. & Hien, T.D. (2024). Factors Affecting Generation Z’s Intention of Choosing a Tourism Destination. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 13(3), 486-493.
Metzger, M. J., Flanagin, A. J., & Medders, R. B. (2010). Social and heuristic approaches to credibility evaluation online. Journal of communication, 60(3), 413-439.
Napoleoncat. (2024). Facebook users in Viet Nam. Retrieved from https://napoleoncat.com/stats/facebook-users-in-viet_nam/2024/04/.
Nilashi, M., Abumalloh, R. A., Alrizq, M., Alghamdi, A. A., Samad, S., Almulihi, A. H., Althobaiti, M. M., Ismail, M. Y., & Mohd, S. (2022). What is the impact of eWOM in social network sites on travel decision-making during the COVID-19 outbreak? A two-stage methodology. Telematics and Informatics, 69, 101795.
Ninan, N., Roy, J. C., & Cheriyan, N. K. (2020). Influence of social media marketing on the purchase intention of Gen Z. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(1), 1692–1702.
Nunnally, J.C., & Bernstein, I.H. (1994). The Assessment of Reliability. Psychometric Theory, 3, 248-292.
Pahlevan Sharif, S., & Mura, P. (2019). Narratives on Facebook: the impact of user-generated content on visiting attitudes, visiting intention and perceptions of destination risk. Information Technology & Tourism, 21(2), 139-163.
Pavan, D.S., & Vishwanath, L. (2018). Correlating Internet, social networks and workplace - a case of Generation Z students. Journal of Commerce and Management Thought, 8(4), 802-815.
Setiawan, P. Y., Purbadharmaja, I. B. P., Widanta, A. A. B. P., & Hayashi, T. (2021). How electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) triggers intention to visit through destination image, trust and satisfaction: The perception of a potential tourist in Japan and Indonesia. Online Information Review, 45(5), 861–878.
Seyfi, S., Vo-Thanh, T. & Zaman, M. (2024).Hospitality in the age of Gen Z: a critical reflection on evolving customer and workforce expectations, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36(13), 118-134.
Statista. (2025). Most popular social networks worldwide as of February 2025, by number of monthly active users. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/.
Thông, T.T., Bảo, H.T., & Dương, L.T. (2023). Ảnh hưởng của truyền thông MXH đến ý định du lịch của du khách thế hệ Z ở Việt Nam. Tạp chí Khoa học Đại học Đồng Tháp, 12(4), 82-92.
Tien, N.D., Hoa, V.D., & Anh, N.T.N. (2025). Destination choice behavior of Generation Z tourists in Vietnam: Assessing the role of TikTok short videos. Hue University Journal of Science: Economics and Development, 134(5S), 87–105.
Wang, W., & Iahad, N. (2023). Gen Z and social media: Shaping tourism and hospitality behavior – A thematic and bibliometric review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(6), 918-936.
Worldpopulationreview. (2025). Facebook Users by Country 2025. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/facebook-users-by-country.
Zhao, X., Lynch, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197–206.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Akın, M. H., & Şener, B. (2024). The impact of social media on destination choice: A study on Generation Z. Journal of Management, Economic and Marketing Research, 8(1), 1-21.
An, N.T., & Long, P.H. (2024). Các yếu tố truyền thông MXH ảnh hưởng đến ý định lựa chọn điểm đến của khách du lịch: khung nghiên cứu. Tạp chí khoa học Đại học Khánh Hòa, 8(2), 91-97.
Azad, M. S., & Dương, Q. N. (2022). Impacts of social media on destination choice of Gen Z tourists – Evidence from Vietnam. Karadeniz 11th International Conference on Social Sciences, 105–115.
Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74–94.
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173–1182.
Basco, A. A. R., Mejia, Z. J. L., & Gueco, I. S. (n.d.). (2021). Social media and its influence to tourist decision making and preferences. International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations, 9(1), 231–247.
Bassiouni, D. H., & Hackley, C. (2014). ‘Generation Z’ children’s adaptation to digital consumer culture: A critical literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(2), 1021-1044.
Behan, M. (2014) Efficacy of Facebook Fans: Can They Influence Perception of the Brand? Journal of Business and Management, 2, 281-291.
Betz, C.L. (2019). Generations X, Y, and Z. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 44, A7-A8.
Binder, D., Lukas, C., & Szabó, Z. (2017). The impact of user-generated content on Facebook on travel destination choices: A comparison of Austrian tourism students and non-tourism students. In Forum on Economics and Business, 20(131), 56-77.
Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of computer‐mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230.
Cavlak, N. (2021). The importance of social media in destination choice: The power of e-WOM. In M. Özdemir & E. Çoban (Eds.), Impact of new media in tourism (pp. 119–134). Peter Lang Publishing.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Dalimocon, J. N., Igcasama, R. M., & Quimbo, H. M. E. (2022). Attributes of Facebook influencing tourists’ decisions on visiting tourist destinations. International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS), 5(11), 97-118.
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS quarterly, 319-340.
Dimock, M. (2019). Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/.
Djafarova, E., & Bowes, T. (2021). “Instagram made me buy it”: Generation Z impulse purchases in the fashion industry. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102345.
Djafarova, E., & Foots, S. (2022). Exploring ethical consumption of Generation Z: Theory of planned behaviour. Young Consumers, 23(3), 413–431.
Ebo, S. (2022, August). Globalisation and social media: Impacts of Facebook on the contemporary order. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 10(6), 1-6.
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), 1143–1168.
Farzin, M., Bagheri Abbassalikosh, A., Sadeghi, M., & Makvandi, R. (2021). The effect of sensory brand experience and brand equity on WTP a price premium in Iranian fast food restaurants: Mediating role of eWOM. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 26(3), 528–548.
Garson, G. D. (2016). Partial Least Squares (PLS-Sem). Statistical Associates Publishing.
Gebsombut, N., & Ho, C.-T. B., (2019), Drivers of social network adoption in post-travel phase: An empirical study in Thai tourists. Cogent Business Management, 6(1), 1702837 .
Gefen, D., Karahanna, E., & Straub, D. W. (2003). Trust and TAM in online shopping: An integrated model. MIS quarterly, 51-90.
Gefen, D., Karahanna, E., & Straub, D. W. (2003). Trust and TAM in online shopping: An integrated model. MIS quarterly, 51-90.
González-Rodríguez, M.R., Díaz-Fernández, M.C., Bilgihan, A., Okumus, F., & Shi, F. (2022). The impact of eWOM source credibility on destination visit intention and online involvement: A case of Chinese tourists. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 13(5), 855-874.
Hair et al. (2016), A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), Second Edition, Sage Publications, New York.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2021). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Hair, J.F., Risher, J.J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C.M. (2019). When to use and how to report theresults of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2-24.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.
Höck, M.W., & Ringle, C.M. (2010). Local strategic networks in the software industry: An empirical analysis of the value continuum. International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 4(2).
Hsu, C.-L., Lin, J. C.-C., & Chiang, H.-S. (2013). The effects of blogger recommendations on customers’ online shopping intentions. Internet Research, 23(1), 69–88.
Kahawandala, N., Peter, S., & Niwunhella, H. (2020). Profiling purchasing behavior of Generation Z. In 2020 International Research Conference on Smart Computing and Systems Engineering (SCSE), SE-03, 158-162.
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business horizons, 53(1), 59-68.
Keelson, S. A., Bruce, E., Egala, S. B., Amoah, J., & Bashiru Jibril, A. (2024). Driving forces of social media and its impact on tourists’ destination decisions: a uses and gratification theory. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1).
Long, H.P. & Hien, T.D. (2024). Factors Affecting Generation Z’s Intention of Choosing a Tourism Destination. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 13(3), 486-493.
Metzger, M. J., Flanagin, A. J., & Medders, R. B. (2010). Social and heuristic approaches to credibility evaluation online. Journal of communication, 60(3), 413-439.
Napoleoncat. (2024). Facebook users in Viet Nam. Retrieved from https://napoleoncat.com/stats/facebook-users-in-viet_nam/2024/04/.
Nilashi, M., Abumalloh, R. A., Alrizq, M., Alghamdi, A. A., Samad, S., Almulihi, A. H., Althobaiti, M. M., Ismail, M. Y., & Mohd, S. (2022). What is the impact of eWOM in social network sites on travel decision-making during the COVID-19 outbreak? A two-stage methodology. Telematics and Informatics, 69, 101795.
Ninan, N., Roy, J. C., & Cheriyan, N. K. (2020). Influence of social media marketing on the purchase intention of Gen Z. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(1), 1692–1702.
Nunnally, J.C., & Bernstein, I.H. (1994). The Assessment of Reliability. Psychometric Theory, 3, 248-292.
Pahlevan Sharif, S., & Mura, P. (2019). Narratives on Facebook: the impact of user-generated content on visiting attitudes, visiting intention and perceptions of destination risk. Information Technology & Tourism, 21(2), 139-163.
Pavan, D.S., & Vishwanath, L. (2018). Correlating Internet, social networks and workplace - a case of Generation Z students. Journal of Commerce and Management Thought, 8(4), 802-815.
Setiawan, P. Y., Purbadharmaja, I. B. P., Widanta, A. A. B. P., & Hayashi, T. (2021). How electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) triggers intention to visit through destination image, trust and satisfaction: The perception of a potential tourist in Japan and Indonesia. Online Information Review, 45(5), 861–878.
Seyfi, S., Vo-Thanh, T. & Zaman, M. (2024).Hospitality in the age of Gen Z: a critical reflection on evolving customer and workforce expectations, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36(13), 118-134.
Statista. (2025). Most popular social networks worldwide as of February 2025, by number of monthly active users. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/.
Thông, T.T., Bảo, H.T., & Dương, L.T. (2023). Ảnh hưởng của truyền thông MXH đến ý định du lịch của du khách thế hệ Z ở Việt Nam. Tạp chí Khoa học Đại học Đồng Tháp, 12(4), 82-92.
Tien, N.D., Hoa, V.D., & Anh, N.T.N. (2025). Destination choice behavior of Generation Z tourists in Vietnam: Assessing the role of TikTok short videos. Hue University Journal of Science: Economics and Development, 134(5S), 87–105.
Wang, W., & Iahad, N. (2023). Gen Z and social media: Shaping tourism and hospitality behavior – A thematic and bibliometric review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(6), 918-936.
Worldpopulationreview. (2025). Facebook Users by Country 2025. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/facebook-users-by-country.
Zhao, X., Lynch, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197–206.
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