Social media destination information features and destination loyalty: does perceived coolness and memorable tourism experiences matter?

Abstract

ABSTRACT The advent of social media in the business environment posed many opportunities and challenges for travel and tourism companies in establishing optimum customer relationships. Although the topics such as social media tourism information and its applicability in the diverse tourists’ behaviours and beliefs have received attention from tourists’ researchers, there was little empirical evidence linking the dimensions of social media destination information with destinations’ perceived coolness. This study looks at how tourism social media destination information elements affect travellers’ perceptions of coolness that ultimately contribute to shaping memorable experiences as well as destination loyalty (affective, cognitive and conative). A field survey method was used, and a PLS-SEM approach was used to test the model. The empirical results showed that the added value of social media destination information and the virtual presence of social media destination information is impacting the perceived coolness. Perceived coolness has a positive influence on memorable experiences, and memorable experiences have a positive effect on destination loyalty. On the basis of the study findings, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed, and future research directions are explained.