The role of fear of missing out in shaping sustainable tourism intentions

Abstract

This study investigates the moderating role of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in shaping the relationship between green awareness (GA), travel intention (TI), and tourism experience (TE) toward sustainable tourism intention (STI). Using robust least squares estimation on cross-sectional survey data from 600 respondents in Indonesia, the study finds that FOMO exerts a dual and ambivalent influence across these relationships. Focusing first on green awareness, the results show that FOMO weakens the influence of GA on STI, indicating that social pressure and trend-driven motivation may suppress intrinsic, value-based commitments to sustainability. This highlights how the desire for social conformity can erode ethical and environmental intentions. Conversely, when linked to general travel intention, FOMO acts as a positive catalyst, strengthening the relationship between TI and STI. This suggests that the emotional excitement and urgency associated with FOMO can accelerate the adoption of sustainable destinations, particularly among travelers already inclined to travel. Meanwhile, in the case of tourism experience, FOMO again plays a disruptive role, diminishing the effect of authentic experiences on sustainable intentions as travelers shift their focus toward capturing socially shareable moments rather than meaningful engagement. This finding provides a theoretical contribution by highlighting the dualistic nature of FOMO and reinforcing the value-intention gap concept in the context of tourism. Practically, this study proposes the "3P Ethical FOMO Framework" as an ethical marketing framework to positively direct FOMO, thereby encouraging the adoption of sustainable tourism without sacrificing its core values.