An Interpretable Moderated Mediation Model: How does Punctum Image Influence Tourists’ Behavioral Intention?

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ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the influence of punctum image in destinations on tourists’ behavioral intentions. The study proposes the concepts of punctum and studium image based on semiology and uses an interpretable moderated mediation model to examine the effects of punctum image, studium image, flow experience, and human interaction on behavioral intention. The proposed research collected data from 440 tourists who visited a destination and used a structural equation model to analyze the relationships among the variables. The study employed bootstrapping to test the significance of the mediating effects and conducted a moderated mediation analysis to examine the moderating role of human interaction. The findings of the study indicate that punctum image has a positive effect on studium image and behavioral intention. Studium image is found to mediate the relationship between punctum image and behavioral intention. Additionally, the study shows that there are multiple mediations of studium image and flow experience between punctum image and behavioral intention. Finally, the study finds that human interaction plays a moderating role in two of the mediating effects. The results of this research have important theoretical and managerial implications. The study highlights the importance of punctum image in destination branding and suggests that destinations should focus on creating memorable and distinctive images to attract tourists. The study also emphasizes the role of studium image and flow experience in shaping tourists’ behavioral intentions, which could help destinations to design more effective marketing strategies. Finally, the study underscores the importance of human interaction in shaping tourists’ experiences and suggests that destinations should focus on providing high-quality human interactions to enhance tourists’ experiences and satisfaction. The use of an interpretable moderated mediation model in this study enhances the interpretability and practical applicability of the results for decision-makers.