Living an Immersion Experience: Are First-Person Narratives Always Effective for Potential Travelers?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Video blogs (or vlogs), which are gradually becoming the mainstream way for young people to record their travels during the COVID-19 pandemic, are convenient for introducing a travel destination through a selfie or a first-perspective long shot. This study investigates how narrative perspectives influence advertising effects, and explores the moderating effect of tourists’ affective risk perceptions. Two experimental studies were conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. Study 1 investigates the relationship between narrative perspectives, media types, and advertising effects. The results show that the media type acts as a moderating variable, affecting the advertising effects produced by different narrative perspectives. Study 2 indicates that affective risk perceptions have a mediating effect between narrative perspectives and advertising effects, and epidemic prevention measures have a moderating effect between narrative perspectives and affective risk perceptions. The research findings provide theoretical and managerial implications for online marketing of tourism in the context of the pandemic.