The AMO framework was first proposed by MacInnis and Jaworski (1989) within the context of information processing. The model posits that ability, motivation, and opportunity are antecedents and predictors of consumer behavior (Hung and Petrick, 2012). The role of these three factors was further examined in brand information processing in the context of advertising (MacInnis et al., 1991), where they were shown to mediate the relationship between executional cues and the communication effectiveness of advertisements.

Since its inception, the AMO framework has been applied across various research domains. In the context of consumer behavior, it has been used to explain knowledge-sharing behaviors (Jin et al., 2022) and social media usage (Guenzi and Nijssen, 2020). In the field of organizational behavior, the framework has been employed to investigate employees’ use of enterprise social media platforms (Yee et al., 2021), their resilience (Zahoor et al., 2024), and the development of enterprises competitive advantage at the organizational level (Lam et al., 2019). A common thread across these applications is the emphasis on decision-making processes influenced by the interplay of ability, motivation, and opportunity. The likelihood of a given behavior occurring is contingent on the degree to which these three factors are present. Moreover, the AMO framework is recognized for its parsimony, and the nature of the relationships among its constructs is considered to be context-dependent (Atmaja et al., 2024).

In the field of tourism, the investigation of individuals’ information processing and decision-making has long been a topic of scholarly interest. Travel intention can be viewed as an outcome of the information processing process, which is primarily influenced by the three factors outlined in the AMO framework. For instance, the AMO framework has been employed to explain individual decision-making processes, suggesting that perceived travel constraints, constraint negotiation, self-congruity, and functional congruity influence travel intention (Hung and Petrick, 2012). Furthermore, travelers’ motivation and opportunity have been found to be positively associated with their involvement with hotel social media pages, which in turn positively influences their revisit intention (Leung and Bai, 2013). Drawing on the AMO framework, previous research has also examined the impact of individuals’ perceived benefits and perceived constraints on their travel behaviors (Wang et al., 2018), reinforcing the framework’s utility in understanding the antecedents of travel intention.

Applying the AMO framework to the context of marine tourism, this study aims to construct a theoretical model to explain how tourism information quality, together with individuals’ travel motivation and information literacy, shapes their travel intention (Leung and Bai, 2013).

Opportunity refers to situational factors that either facilitate or hinder individuals’ information processing (Leung and Bai, 2013). Prior research has conceptualized opportunity as the availability of resources such as time and money, which can positively or negatively influence the achievement of desired outcomes (MacInnis et al., 1991). A positively assessed opportunity promotes engagement in a particular behavior to attain desired goals, whereas a negatively assessed opportunity serves as a barrier that prevents individuals from achieving those goals (Atmaja et al., 2024; MacInnis et al., 1991). In tourism, social media content is regarded as a primary stimulus for evoking individuals’ travel intentions (Lu and Stepchenkova, 2015). Given that a positively assessed opportunity indicates fewer external impediments to information processing (Leung and Bai, 2013; MacInnis et al., 1991), we argue that tourism information quality—which refers to the characteristics of information that align with individuals’ expectations (Kahn et al., 2002)—serves as an opportunity-enhancing factor that can stimulate individuals’ travel intention.

In tourism, it is found that individuals tend to place trust in and form expectations about content created and shared by others, such as information regarding travel destinations (Yoo and Gretzel, 2011). Meanwhile, individuals’ impressions of products or services are shaped through their information processing of various sources, and the same informational content may be perceived differently depending on individuals’ backgrounds (Kim et al., 2017). Accordingly, when informational content is perceived as complete, accurate, relevant, and authentic, individuals are more likely to pay attention to and deeply process the information, leading to rational cognition and the formation of positive attitudes toward the destination (Wang and Yan, 2022).

Furthermore, social media can shape an individual’s impression of the destination, which in turn helps increase the possibility of them planning a trip (Kim et al., 2017). When the quality of tourism-related information positively influences various types of destination image, high-quality information also helps individuals increase their understanding of specific products or services, thereby assisting them in making informed decisions (Kim et al., 2017). As a relatively new and information-intensive tourism segment, marine tourism requires individuals to rely heavily on available information for decision-making, making it a suitable context for examining the effects of information quality (Kim et al., 2017; Xiang and Gretzel, 2010). In this regard, information quality—which refers to the quality of information based on its intrinsic characteristics (Park et al., 2007)—has been identified as a strong predictor of the credibility of information sources (Filieri et al., 2015). Accordingly, tourism information quality can be regarded as an opportunity-enhancing factor with the potential to persuade individuals and strengthen their travel intention toward marine tourism.

Due to the nearly limitless availability of information on the Internet, often accessible with minimal effort or cost (Kim et al., 2007), individuals may experience information overload and decision overload (Zhang et al., 2023). The asymmetry of tourism information—whereby individuals cannot assess the quality of tourism products or services before reaching the destination—further complicates the decision-making process (Wang and Yan, 2022). Excessive exposure to such information challenges individuals’ ability to make travel decisions and may lead to negative evaluations of travel experiences (Jia et al., 2021).

Given that individuals’ perceptions of information quality are positively associated with the importance they attach to that information (Dedeoglu, 2019), the overwhelming volume of information underscores the critical role of information quality. Previous studies have confirmed that information quality positively affects user satisfaction and purchase intention (DeLone and McLean, 1992; Ghasemaghaei and Hassanein, 2015; Park et al., 2007). Moreover, information quality can compensate for individuals’ limited tourism knowledge, enabling them to achieve their travel goals more easily and increasing their overall satisfaction (Wang et al., 2024). While tourism information quality helps address the problem of asymmetric tourism information, it also enhances individuals’ trust in the reliability of such information. In the context of tourism, trust refers to the confidence, belief, and expectations individuals hold toward a tourism destination (Wang and Yan, 2022). Individuals who trust tourism information are more likely to believe that the destination can fulfill their personal needs (Shou et al., 2023). Moreover, trust within the social media environment has been shown to increase individuals’ purchase intention and interest in purchasing behavior (Hajli, 2014; Li et al., 2020). Hence, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 1: Tourism information quality of marine tourism is positively related to individuals’ travel intention toward marine tourism.

In order to perform a given behavior, individuals must possess the appropriate abilities relevant to that domain (Hung and Petrick, 2012). Because travel involves unfamiliar and novel experiences, the resulting uncertainty underscores the importance of individual information literacy (Karl, 2018). Originally, ability refers to the extent to which individuals possess the necessary resources—such as knowledge, intelligence, or financial means—to bring about a desired outcome (Leung and Bai, 2013). Adopting the concept from MacInnis et al. (1991), this study defines ability as the knowledge, skills, and beliefs that individuals possess to process information related to marine tourism.

Within the context of this study, information literacy—defined as the combination of knowledge and skills required to access, evaluate, and effectively use needed information (Bawden, 2001)—is considered the relevant ability within the AMO framework. In tourism research, information literacy emphasizes individuals’ capabilities related to the collection and processing of information (Wang et al., 2024). As individuals frequently need to gather a wide range of information to support decision-making for unfamiliar destinations—while simultaneously facing challenges such as information overload and redundancy—information literacy becomes critically important (Karl, 2018; Guan et al., 2022). Only by effectively collecting, evaluating, and utilizing reliable information can travelers ensure a satisfactory experience. It also emphasizes the significance of focusing on the context of marine tourism. Given the vast amount of information available on the Internet (Kim et al., 2007), individuals are expected to utilize useful information to make informed travel decisions and enhance their satisfaction (Filieri et al., 2015). Accordingly, information literacy is essential for supporting individuals in making appropriate choices and achieving satisfying travel outcomes (Wang et al., 2024).

However, more information does not necessarily lead to better decisions or higher satisfaction. Previous research has shown that individuals with inadequate information literacy tend to have low levels of trust in online information, which prevents them from meeting their travel planning needs (Kourouthanassis et al., 2017). Individuals lacking travel knowledge may struggle with managing emergencies, understanding travel documents, and selecting suitable destinations (Chang et al., 2019; Tsaur et al., 2010). Moreover, individuals with limited information skills may find it difficult to identify their information needs, locate necessary information, evaluate it accurately, and use it efficiently (Wang et al., 2024). In contrast, individuals with high information literacy are more likely to avoid post-decision regret and report greater satisfaction with both tourism information and travel experiences (Yan et al., 2017). Accordingly, information literacy should be regarded as a critical competence that must be cultivated to ensure a satisfactory travel experience (Wang et al., 2024).

Since information literacy provides the foundation for processing ability, high ability implies that the knowledge and skills necessary to interpret information are both present and accessible (MacInnis et al., 1991). Greater information literacy also reflects individuals’ higher self-efficacy in using information skills to address information-related problems, as well as a higher level of satisfaction with the information obtained (Wang et al., 2024). The combination of information quality as an opportunity-enhancing factor and information literacy as an individual ability can create a synergistic effect in strengthening travel intention. Specifically, individuals’ ability to access, evaluate, and effectively use needed information equips them with an advantage in transforming high-quality marine tourism information into a practical tool for planning future travel. Hence, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 2: Information literacy moderates the relationship between tourism information quality of marine tourism and travel intention toward marine tourism, such as the relationship is stronger when information literacy is high.

Motivation plays a crucial role in the decision-making process due to its influence on the direction and intensity of behavior (Bettman, 1979). Specifically, as a driving force that steers individuals toward specific goals and desirable outcomes, motivation encourages engagement and supports the decision-making process (Leung and Bai, 2013; Rasoolimanesh et al., 2017). In tourism research, motivation is widely recognized as a key factor shaping individuals’ travel intention (Gnoth, 1997; Wong et al., 2018). It can be defined as the direction of individuals’ efforts and the allocation of their time and energy toward a specific task (Zahoor et al., 2024). In other words, individuals are motivated to engage in certain behaviors in order to fulfill situational needs (Maghrifani et al., 2022). Higher levels of motivation suggest that individuals are more willing to invest time and energy in identifying and processing relevant information (Leung and Bai, 2013). It should be noticed that when social platforms present content that aligns with individual interests, it is the tourism information itself that often stimulates individuals’ travel motivation (Wang and Yan, 2022). Travel motivation alone is not sufficient to directly generate travel intention (Maghrifani et al., 2022).

As a topic of significant interest in tourism research, travel motivation has been shown to directly influence individuals’ travel intentions and behaviors. However, the positive association between travel motivation and travel intention has yielded inconsistent results across studies. For instance, the motivation to seek knowledge has been found to positively influence individuals’ intention to visit wine tourism destinations, whereas the desire for escape and relaxation did not demonstrate a similar effect (Afonso et al., 2018). Furthermore, prior research suggests that individuals’ travel motivations can be fulfilled by various destinations, rather than being tied to a specific one (Jang and Cai, 2002). As such, travel motivation alone cannot consistently explain individuals’ intention to visit a particular destination. In other words, travel motivation may be associated with travel intention both directly and indirectly through the influence of other factors (Maghrifani et al., 2022). A key challenge, therefore, is to understand travel intention as a function of both internal motivations and external factors related to the specific destination (Maghrifani et al., 2022).

In tourism research, travel motivation based on the push and pull factors has been extensively studied (Jang and Wu, 2006). Push factors refer to individuals’ internal needs or desires that drive them to travel, while pull factors relate to the external attributes of a destination that attract individuals to choose it as a vacation site (Crompton, 1979; Dann, 1981). In this context, travel motivation is conceptualized as a push factor, which is essential for stimulating individuals’ intention to travel (Crompton, 1979; Dann, 1981). Information quality, considered a pull factor, conveys the attractiveness of a marine tourism destination. Accordingly, travel motivation and information quality may work in tandem—one providing the internal drive and the other delivering external appeal—to enhance individuals’ travel intentions. Hence, we propose the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 3: Travel motivation moderates the relationship between tourism information quality of marine tourism and travel intention toward marine tourism, such as the relationship is stronger when perceptions of travel motivation are high.

Accordingly, we develop a research model to examine how tourism information quality influences individuals’ travel intention toward marine tourism, and how travel motivation and information literacy may moderate the relationship between tourism information quality and travel intention. Figure 1 presents the proposed research model.

In this study, respondents scored multiple items on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). We adopted appropriate existing scales (Gan et al., 2023; Maghrifani et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2024) to measure tourism information quality, travel motivation, information literacy, and travel intention. The scales are also tailored to align with the specific context of this study. Specifically, the most suitable dimension of this constructs is selected. For travel motivation, as a wide range of motivation have been identified in the tourism context, this paper takes novelty seeking and escape seeking, which have been repeatedly identified, to represent travel motivation (Maghrifani et al., 2022). Novelty seeking motivation describes the need to pursue new experiences. The more familiar the destination, the less attractive it is likely to be to individuals motivated by novelty seeking (Moura et al., 2015). Engaging in marine tourism, which is an emerging and popular tourism type, should be a brand-new experience and an attractive travel for most people. Escape seeking motivation describes the need to get away from the stress of everyday life (Iso-Ahola, 1982). Individuals who take escape seeking motivation expect a socially and physically different environment from the one in which they usually live (Crompton, 1979). While activities that are related to marine tourism are far from traditional human settlements, the marine environment is also conducive to individuals’ relaxation. For information literacy, the core elements of general information literacy proposed by previous research, information knowledge and information skills, are chosen to represent information literacy (Wang et al., 2024). Information knowledge evaluates individuals’ familiarity with various travel information resources and different types of travel information (Tsaur et al., 2010). Information skills refer in particular to individuals’ ability to find, interpret, evaluate and use travel information (Ahmad et al., 2020). In addition to that, tourism information quality was composed of six items adapted from Wang et al. (2024). Travel intention was measured using three items from Gan et al. (2023). The final questionnaire is presented in Table 1 .

After selecting appropriate measurements for each construct and modifying them to better align with the context of this paper, we sent the questionnaire to three experts in consumer behavior to examine the readability and improve according to the feedback. Acknowledging the variability in individuals understanding about collecting travel information on social media and marine tourism, we introduced two pivotal screening questions to filter out the useless questionnaire data. These two questions are “Have you ever used social media platforms to obtain travel information?” and “Have you ever learned about or participated in Marine tourism?”. Only those participants who understand marine tourism and experience the information collection on social media were viewed as useful respondents.

To control for potential biases, a range of control variables are examined: gender, age, education level, monthly salary, annual travel frequency, and the frequency of online tourism information search. Moreover, to mitigate common method bias associated with single-source survey data, we take two remedies. First, respondents were told that their anonymity would be protected, and they can freely present their thoughts. Second, before data collection, we discussed with three experts in consumer behavior to examine the readability. All measurements were pretested to ensure content validity and understandability.

Data collection was executed through a leading research participants’ recruitment organization (Credamo), and 300 questionnaire responses were collected. Among them, 268 participants were classified as valid, resulting in a useful rate of 89%. Demographic insights are presented in Table 2 .

Specifically, around 63% of the respondents were male compared to 37% female. More than 52% respondents were aged 26–35 years old, with over 90% of respondents held higher educational qualifications. Besides that, only around 15% of respondents reported monthly salary above 15000 yuan.

This paper applies a two-stage analytical procedure to examine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire data (Anderson and Gerbing, 1988). While the first stage focuses on the evaluation of the measurement properties of the instruments, the objective of second stage is to examine the structural relationships (Srivastava and Chandra, 2018). Three types of validity, which are content validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, are examined. Content validity assesses whether the adopted measurements can comprehensively reflect the domain of the construct (Straub et al., 2004). We examined it when we designed the questionnaire and by checking the consistency between the measurements used in this paper and those in previous studies. Convergent validity discusses whether the items measuring a construct are strongly correlated (Petter et al., 2007). Since the measurements for constructs were modified based on the existing ones, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied. As illustrated in Table 3 , the factor loading of items was higher than the threshold of 0.7 and the average variance extracted (AVE) was higher than the threshold of 0.5, supporting the good convergent validity (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). Additionally, the composite reliability was all greater than the threshold of 0.7, suggesting the good reliability of the data (Chin, 1998). Discriminant validity checks whether there is a significant difference in the measurements between different constructs (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). As shown in Table 4 , the square root of AVE all exceeded correlations between factors and other constructs, suggesting satisfactory discriminant validity.

This paper makes three key theoretical contributions. First, from a theoretical perspective, the research on the integrative impact of both external environmental factor and individual factors on individuals’ travel intention is very limited. The study is one of the first attempts to explore the various factors influencing individuals’ travel intention from an integrative perspective. It also provides empirical evidence to support the use of the AMO framework in the tourism context. By investigating the combined impact of tourism information quality, information literacy and travel motivation on individuals’ travel intention, this paper responds to calls for investigating the interactive effects among ability, motivation, and opportunity (Bos-Nehles et al., 2023; Hong and Gajendran, 2018).

Second, this study advances tourism research by quantitatively examining the impact of tourism information quality on individuals’ travel intention—an area that remains underexplored in the context of marine tourism. While the role of information on social media in shaping travel intention has received considerable attention, few studies have investigated the characteristics of the information itself. By considering both motivational and ability-related factors, this study helps bridge a significant gap in the literature.

Third, the study offers nuanced insights into the heterogeneous nature of information literacy. By distinguishing between information knowledge and information skills, the findings reveal that these two dimensions can have divergent effects on individual behavior. This highlights the context-dependent nature of information literacy and provides a theoretical foundation for future research.

In the current era of information explosion, the quality of information provided on social media platforms plays a crucial role in shaping individuals’ access to effective tourism content and enhancing their overall travel experiences (Li et al., 2025). The findings of this study offer several practical implications for promoting the sustainable development of marine tourism by addressing the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including government, platform companies, and the tourism industry. Moreover, it also enables individuals to clearly understand the mechanism of their own tourism behaviors.

First, from a governmental perspective, policy support for tourism-related stakeholders remains relatively limited (Khalid et al., 2021). To facilitate the sustainable development of marine tourism, governments should formulate more comprehensive incentive policies. Such policies not only support industrial growth but also contribute to improving the visibility of tourist destinations, stimulating local economic development, and enriching consumers’ travel experiences (Aguinis et al., 2023; Shou and Xu, 2025). Moreover, the study highlights the significance of information environment governance. Governments are advised to implement regulatory frameworks to manage the dissemination of false or misleading content and improve the overall quality of online tourism information. Policymakers could also support the development of verified social platforms to address information asymmetry and enhance public trust through useful policies. By fostering a trustworthy and well-regulated information environment, governmental efforts can contribute to a more sustainable and competitive tourism ecosystem. In this regard, multi-level coordination among individuals, industries, and public authorities could promote long-term destination attractiveness and traveler satisfaction (Choi and Choi, 2019).

Second, platform companies—particularly social media service providers—should optimize their content presentation mechanisms. Personalizing information delivery based on user preferences can significantly enhance user engagement and platform competitiveness. Additionally, digital platforms can tailor content delivery strategies according to users’ information literacy profiles—for example, providing structured and filtered content for users with lower information skills, while allowing more exploratory options for more literate users. In addition, platforms can adopt incentive mechanisms that encourage users to generate and share high-quality content. This not only supports users in accessing reliable and meaningful travel information but also expands the role of social platforms in destination promotion and tourism marketing, especially in emerging sectors such as marine tourism.

Third, for stakeholders within the tourism industry, a deep understanding of how individual travel behaviors are influenced by the digital information environment is critical. Practitioners can enhance competitiveness by aligning marketing and service strategies with tourists’ online information-seeking behaviors. Furthermore, promoting consumers’ information literacy can empower individuals to more effectively evaluate and utilize high-quality information from platforms, thereby improving their travel decision-making processes and enriching their tourism experiences. Ultimately, the collaborative efforts of governments, platforms, and industry stakeholders can foster a more informed, engaged, and sustainable marine tourism environment.