Looking for accommodations? What motivates consumer information search behavior on Instagram, Facebook groups and personal profiles on social networking sites

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the association between the perceived values of information (economic, hedonic, functional, psychological) and the actual use of social networking channels (Instagram/Facebook groups/SNS personal profiles or messaging) for seeking information on accommodations. Design/methodology/approach: 879 respondents aged 18–55, who travel abroad as individual tourists at least once a year and are responsible for their own accommodation choice, were surveyed. Findings: The study shows that all the values of information are more likely to be provided through posting a question on one's profile/messaging options (i.e. friends and relatives), than through Facebook groups and Instagram. The multivariate findings show that different values are associated with different SNS channel choices for seeking information. Originality/value: The study provides an innovative approach to the motivations behind the use of different SNS platforms for travel information search by consumers. It offers practical implications, suggesting how to provide the relevant content on each channel.