Exploring direct and indirect effects of sustainability communication on destination reputation

Abstract

Today, tourists are increasingly interested in sustainable tourism, which takes into consideration cultural, environmental and social development. The official websites of destination management organizations (DMOs) play a vital role in attracting tourists, through sustainability communication, which aims to inform, engage and motivate stakeholders regarding the sustainability actions of a destination. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between sustainability communication and destination reputation. The research was conducted based on a web-content analysis investigating the relationship between sustainability communication, in DMO official websites, and destination reputation, mediated by tourist satisfaction. To assess the proposed structural model, the multivariate statistical method PLS-SEM was applied. The results suggest that the indirect effect of sustainability communication on destination reputation is stronger than its direct effect. Tourism stakeholders need to be conscious of the fact that customers are aware of sustainability in tourism, and should therefore ensure adequate communication about sustainability. The paper's contribution is that it enhances both the theory and the practice of sustainability communication for destinations. This study determines how sustainability communication influences destination reputation, offering DMOs valuable information for tailoring their websites. • Sustainability communication is positively related to destination reputation. • A mediation model with satisfaction is used to explain the positive relationship. • The indirect effect is stronger than its direct effect. • Sustainability communication will improve the perception of destination reputation.