Market mavenism, tourists’ co-creation experience, loyalty, vaxication intention: mediating role of travel incentives in the post-COVID-19 environment

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between market mavenism, tourists’ cocreation experience, loyalty and the mediating role of travel incentives in the post-COVID-19 tourism environment in the context of vaxication intentions in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach This study used covariance-based structural equation modeling to empirically test the proposed hypotheses. A total of 348 respondents participated in the survey. Findings The findings of this study support the assumption that market mavenism (MM) engage in cocreating and sharing travel experiences (CCTE). Furthermore, the study reveals that market mavens tend to demonstrate loyalty (LTY) toward service providers when engaging in cocreation with travel industry professionals. In addition, the study establishes the significant mediating effect of travel incentives (TI) between MM and vaxication intention (VI). Research limitations/implications The study uses the theory of planned behavior to examine tourists’ intentions for vaxication and the psychological factors influencing their decisions, while also using the macro–micro theory to explore industry-level factors like market mavens and customer engagement, leading to a comprehensive understanding of COVID-19 vaccination and tourism behavior. Further research is needed to address limitations such as country diversity, multiple locations and service providers, online behavior analysis, authenticity perception and identification of market mavens’ personality traits and travel preferences. Originality/value This study contributes to the scholarly literature in several ways. First, it explores the influence of market mavens on tourism experience cocreation and customer loyalty during the postpandemic era. Second, it empirically examines the mediating role of travel incentives, adding to the understanding of market mavens and vaccination intentions. Lastly, the study addresses the implications during and after the COVID-19 for managers and service providers in the tourism industry.