Network Interaction Utility of User-Generated Content and Destination Image Perception

Abstract

The overall aim of this article is to construct and empirically validate a theoretical model about how network interaction utility based on user-generated content in virtual tourism communities influences tourism destination image perception with susceptibility to interpersonal influence as a moderating variable. Seventeen hypotheses are proposed after theoretical deduction and are then tested. A presurvey with 63 valid questionnaires and a formal survey with 432 valid questionnaires were conducted. Then the researchers used reliability analysis, factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and hierarchical regression. The results show that susceptibility to informational interpersonal influence plays a significantly negative moderating role in the relationship between instrumental utility and cognitive image perception and the relationship between psychological utility and cognitive or affective image perception. Susceptibility to normative interpersonal influence significantly negatively moderates the relationship between psychological utility and cognitive or affective image perception. The findings and marketing implications helps destination marketing organizations reasonably plan tourism resources utilization and tourism product development to build or maintain a sustainable destination.