Exploring the role of personality traits and goal-framing in visitors’ social media sharing intention at a tourism exhibition: trait activation theory perspective

Sharing travel experiences on social media shapes consumer behaviour and destination visibility, yet digital engagement during tourism exhibitions remains under-explored. This study investigates how personality traits and motivational goal frames influence sharing intentions, integrating the Big Five and Goal-Framing Theory through Trait Activation Theory. Data were collected from 313 attendees at the 17th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition (TITE). The results indicate that personality traits, especially extraversion and neuroticism, significantly predict sharing intentions, while motivational goal frames have no direct effect. However, moderation analyses reveal that goal frames shape these relationships: the gain goal frame strengthens the effect of conscientiousness, whereas the normative and hedonic frames broadly moderate the effects of personality traits on sharing intentions. These findings demonstrate that situational goal cues condition how personality traits drive digital engagement. The study advances theoretical understanding by refining trait-based models, questioning the generalisability of goal-framing mechanisms, and encouraging context-sensitive theorisation of digital engagement. Practically, it suggests that tailoring social media strategies to personality-driven behaviours can enhance visitor engagement.