Female travelers’ social media sharing intentions: the role of motivation, experience and satisfaction

Purpose With the rise of social media, female travelers increasingly share their travel experiences online. This study aims to explore the psychological and experiential factors influencing female travelers’ intentions to share their travel experiences, drawing upon self-determination theory. Design/methodology/approach A total of 552 valid survey responses were collected and analyzed using SPSS Statistics 26 and partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS 4. This study integrates constructs from self-determination theory (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation), travel experiences (memorable, emotional and sensory) and satisfaction to examine their influence on post-travel sharing intentions. Findings Both the measurement and structural models demonstrated satisfactory performance. The results of this study support all proposed hypotheses, confirming that self-determined motivations and positive travel experiences significantly predict female travelers’ intentions to share their experiences online. Originality/value This research advances the application of self-determination theory in female travel studies by identifying key motivational and experiential drivers of post-travel behavior. This study also offers practical implications for tourism marketers seeking to enhance engagement with female travelers through personalized and emotionally resonant travel experiences.