Abstract
Online sources of information are a matter of special interest in tourism research. In particular, they are key elements in the formation of destination image. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between online sources of information and destination image and to analyze the mediating role of motivation to co-create in that relationship. A research model was developed, and hypotheses were tested on data collected from 394 usable responses about the World Heritage city of Cuenca (Spain). The results show that online commercial sources have a direct positive impact on the conative, affective and cognitive dimensions of the tourist image, in this order. Additionally, this study supports the view that motivation to co-create mediates the relationship between online information sources and destination image. Finally, motivation to co-create was also found to have a positive and direct impact, in this order, on conative, cognitive and affective image. The main value of our research is that it underlines the essential influence of motivation to co-create in the relationship between online information sources and destination image. This study also provides a critical review of the existing literature by positing a conceptual theoretical framework that links three types of online sources of information (social media sources, online commercial sources and online non-commercial sources) and destination image.
Highlights
Tourists have traditionally relied on travel agencies, tour operators, brochures, travel guides, friends and family when planning a trip [1,2]
The results show that social media sources did not relate to any component of the destination image, contrary to our predictions, and Hypothesis 1 (H1) (H1a, H1b and H1c) could not be accepted
The bias-corrected and accelerated (BCA) bootstrap method revealed a significant indirect effect of social media sources, online commercial sources and online non-commercial sources on cognitive, affective and conative image. These results suggest that motivation to co-create does mediate the relationship between informational online sources and destination images, in support of H5a, H5b and H5c; H6a, H6b and H6c; and H7a, H7b and H7c
Summary
Tourists have traditionally relied on travel agencies, tour operators, brochures, travel guides, friends and family when planning a trip [1,2]. The proliferation and the development of online sources of information has drastically changed this paradigm. In addition to providing consumers with access to book and purchase a wide range of tourism products and services [3], online information sources have significantly transformed the way consumers gather information, make decisions and give their opinions about purchases [4,5]. This means that many tourists use online information sources to carry out activities such as choosing a destination or booking a table in a restaurant or a hotel room [6,7]. The expansion of these online environments has allowed nearly anyone to publish information about a destination, and for travelers to check and share this information in real time. People’s decisions to visit and recommend a place are increasingly shaped by comments, ideas, photographs and videos that others upload to these sources [8]
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