Photo Taking Paradox: Contrasting Effects of Photo Taking on Travel Satisfaction and Revisit Intention

The present research establishes that taking photos has a paradoxical dual effect on travelers’ satisfaction and revisit intention. Across five empirical studies, we show that while taking photographs increases travelers’ satisfaction with an experience, it simultaneously decreases travelers’ intention to revisit the same experience. The increased psychological engagement induced by photo taking is the underlying mechanism behind this dual effect. Specifically, the greater engagement increases satisfaction with an experience, but it also makes it easier for travelers to remember the experience and, therefore, diminishes the perceived utility of revisiting the same experience. Hence, travelers are less likely to go back to a place if they have taken photographs of it during a visit. An intriguing implication arising from these findings is that while allowing photographs can be an effective policy to attract first-time travelers, prohibiting photography is more effective for encouraging revisits.