Social media are revolutionizing the way travelers prepare, experience,
and complete the whole travel processes. Based on the technology
affordance theory, this paper proposes an integrated affordance
framework with the aim of understanding the functions that afford
travelers’ social media use behavior in tourism. The empirical results
indicate there are three categories of technology affordances in whole
travel stages. Information gathering and collaboration constitute the
first category of affordances, and they usually exist at pre-travel and
in-travel stages. Additionally, self-presentation, content sharing,
visibility, interaction, and persistence affordances are second category
affordances, and they often occur at in-travel and after-travel stages.
Whilst the communication and triggered attending affordances are seen
as third category affordances, as they occur at all travel stages. This
research contributes to the literature on the affordances of social
media use in the whole processes of travel and offers practical
implications for managing social media in tourism.