The influence of digital publicity and E-WOM on destination image and visit intention

Abstract

This research investigates the effect of digital publicity and electronic word-of-mouth on destination image and its subsequent impact on visit intention among Indonesian tourists who have considered Seoul, South Korea. The novelty of this research is that no study has comparatively evaluated digital publicity and E-WOM in shaping destination perceptions, which is quintessential for tourism marketers. A quantitative method through SEM has been employed for the present study in order to examine the described relationships among these variables. The online survey took responses from 200 Indonesian active digital travel content users. The data collected has been tested for its validity and reliability. Results show that E-WOM has a more significant effect on destination image than digital publicity, which implies that tourists trust peer-generated content more than official promotional materials. In addition, destination image has a significant effect on visit intention, thus motivating travel decisions. The implication is that tourism authorities should focus on user-generated content strategies with an effective digital publicity campaign. Future research can also examine the platform-specific impacts of digital marketing on the behavior of tourists.