Stronger family ties vs. less social contact: Use intention of autonomous vehicles in family tourism

Autonomous vehicle-related services, such as Waymo, are now available for tourists, creating a new era of ground transportation in the tourism industry. However, research on autonomous vehicles in tourism literature remains in the beginning stage. To enrich understanding of autonomous vehicles in tourism and to contribute practical insights, this study examines potential users’ assessment, expectancy, and use intention toward autonomous vehicles in family tourism. A total of 439 complete survey responses were collected from car owners in Japan. Results confirmed perceived benefit, effort expectancy, and perceived risk as significant antecedents of both positive (i.e. family ties enhanced by autonomous vehicles) and negative expectancy (i.e. reduced social contact through autonomous vehicles), which influenced use intention toward autonomous vehicles. Additionally, females, those of higher age demographics (50s–60s), and those with larger family sizes (three or more) were more concerned with reduced social contact when evaluating their use intention toward autonomous vehicles.