Destination Visit Research Articles

The Role of AI-Based Destination Chatbots in Satisfaction, Continued Usage Intention, and Visit Intention: A Study from Quito, Ecuador

Framed on the Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM), the Information System Success Model (ISSM), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the aim of the study is to investigate destination chatbots to know the factors that generate user satisfaction, chatbot continued usage and destination visit intentions. Ecuador has the city of Quito as its capital and has been a World Heritage Site (WHS) since 1978. To provide tourists with information about the city, the Chatbot Quito Guide Bot. A convenience sampling method was employed to collect data from 284 participants who tried the QuitoGuide chatbot before answering a self-administered questionnaire. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed structural model. The results showed that the quality of information, the perceived enjoyment, and the perceived usefulness positively influence satisfaction. The findings also revealed that satisfaction with the chatbot is a strong determinant and a predictor of continued use of the chatbot and visit intentions.

Assessing the Experiential Service Quality, Perceived Image, Experiential Satisfaction, and Revisiting Intentions of Public Zoo Visitors

The role of zoos in wildlife management has been revolutionized from basic conservation sites into research institutions, public education, and recreational desti-nations for public visitors. Building upon this evolution, the present study delves into the intricate interrelationships between public zoo experiential service quality, the perceived image of these institutions, experiential satisfaction, and visitors' intentions to revisit. Questionnaires were administered to 330 visitors via purposive sampling at the Kuala Lumpur National Zoo. The study hypotheses were supported, highlighting the significant and positive interrelationship between interaction quality, physical environment quality, enjoyment quality, educational quality, zoo image, experiential satisfaction, and visitor’s revisit intention. The study provides practical managerial implications for the public zoo in delivering superior services, essential in improving visitor satisfaction. Excellent service quality ensures visitor satisfaction, enabling zoo management to meet visitor's expectations and encourage return visits, thus enhancing the zoo’s sustainability. The study results urge public zoo management in developing and implementing out of the box market-orientated service strategies by enhancing the interaction, enjoyment, educational quality, and physical environment perceived by future visitors.

Analysis of Online User Reviews for Popular Tourist Attractions: Almaty Case

Attractions in the tourism industry are one of the components that motivate tourists to visit destinations, such as entertainment, natural, cultural, and historical richness. For such reasons, people decide to visit unique destinations and spend time there. Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan, is one of the significant attraction centers of the Central Asia region, offering tourists unique and pleasant features with several tourist attractions. This study aims to analyze online user reviews of tourist attractions in Almaty, Kazakhstan, using machine learning and text mining methods. The primary focus is on identifying the main thematic clusters of reviews and their sentiment and comparing these themes with the types of attractions: historical, natural, and man-made. A total of 7,515 reviews were collected from the TripAdvisor website. The data was processed using sentiment analysis, topic modeling, and hierarchical clustering methods. The analysis revealed that 38% of the reviews were related to natural attractions, 34% to man-made, and 28% to historical ones. The most positive reviews were associated with natural attractions, while historical and man-made attractions received 79.38% and 81.40% positive reviews, respectively. In addition, the items that make up these attractions are identified, and their sentiment levels are pointed out. In addition to this situation, visitors have the most positive expressions for natural attractions, especially landscapes and lakes. The findings emphasize the importance of considering review themes to improve the quality of tourist services and to enhance the positive image of Almaty as a tourist destination.

The Jurassic Park and Ata Modo in Eastern Indonesia

Famous for its distinctive Komodo dragons (Varanus Komodoensis) and features home to underwater ecosystems, the Komodo National Park (KNP) has become a prominent and favorite destination of visitors locally and globally in recent years. Situated in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, KNP has three prime islands: Rinca, Komodo, and Padar. The infrastructure development in KNP formulated in 2020 by the central government of Indonesia, including establishing offices, photograph areas, clinics, warehouses, public spaces, and tour guides' offices, raises controversy about this decision. While the government of Indonesia persuaded citizens that this erection was a conservation effort for protection, preservation, and utilization, UNESCO refused this plan by enacting a refusal document and assessing whether the development could affect the property's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) before the review of the relevant environmental impact analysis by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Additionally, the local people argue this plan will threaten the giant lizard's habitat regarding the entry of heavy equipment and disadvantage local tourism actors. Using a systematic literature review method, this piece collects and discovers a different concept in the issue of infrastructure development in KNP instead of another scholar's perspective. Walpole and Goodwin (2000) find that economics and facilities are the prominent aspects of tourism, while UNESCO considers the environment in development. In contrast to popular belief, this paper indicates a significant role of local people, known as Ata Modo, in the KNP establishment. This paper's findings propose that Ata Modo, as local people/tribes in KNP, should not be relocated from their area and instead be involved in the decision-making process. The bottom-up approach can be executed as a practice in a democratic process. From the fiscal approach, this development will positively impact local people's economy through collaboration and stakeholder participation.

From GI products consumers to destination visitors: an examination of the push side mechanism

PurposeGeographical Indication (GI) products represent a distinct association between a product and its specific geographic origin. While scholars have acknowledged the impact of GI products on destination marketing, there exists a dearth of research concerning the underlying mechanism through which the perceived value of GI products influences consumers' intention to visit the region of origin.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes the cognitive appraisal theory as a basis for constructing a conceptual framework to investigate the association between the perceived value of GI products, emotional reactions and destination brand awareness.FindingsBy placing particular emphasis on the diverse impacts of perceived value on tourists' affective responses and travel intentions, the results of this research offer significant contributions to the field of destination marketing.Originality/valueA deeper understanding of the perceived value of GI products can enable destination marketers to effectively attract prospective tourists and foster a stronger connection between tourists and the regions of origin.

A Research on the Mediating Role of Gastronomic Elements in Travel Motivation

The main purpose of the research is to determine the mediating role of gastronomic elements that are effective in the travel motivation of individuals. In line with the literature review, a questionnaire based on the survey model was prepared in order to determine individuals' travel motivation, gastronomic elements that are effective in destination visit and individuals' thoughts about their anxiety or fear of new tastes and flavors (neophobia). With the help of the questionnaire prepared in accordance with its purpose, the necessary data for the research were obtained from 391 participants by using the convenience sampling method. According to the findings, both travel motivation and thoughts about gastronomic elements differ according to the demographic characteristics of individuals. It has also been determined that there is a significant relationship between travel motivation and gastronomic elements. Within the scope of the research, the effect of neophobia on travel motivation was also investigated.

A configurational impact assessment of pet tourism destination visit intention: application of TPB, servicescapes, and loss-aversion under prospect theory

ABSTRACT As the number of pet lovers is increasing, the tourism industry has become keenly interested in pet-friendly business environments. This study aimed to explain pet owners’ intentions to visit a pet tourism destination using diverse determinants, which were applied in three theoretical frameworks. Data were collected from a sample of 349 pet owners. Among the meaningful results, pet owners chose pet tourism destinations that offered physical environment attributes. Their intentions were salient to overcoming perceived behavioural control issues or perceived risks. Overall, pet owners revealed a strong intention to visit pet tourism accommodation if the destination provided suitable facilities or services. The results of this study are of academic and industrial significance because they relate to a new niche market: pet lovers and pet-friendly tourism businesses.

Rural gentrification, the booming B&B industry and linked migration in China: To what extent can gentrification contribute to rural revitalisation?

AbstractAccompanying the functional transformation of rural areas from productivism to postproductivism, the rural areas with scenic views surrounding megacities are re‐evaluated in terms of their importance as destinations for visitors, especially in the case of booming bed and breakfast (B&B) industry in contemporary rural China. While private investment has generally led to improvements in the physical space and economic development of these villages, there is also concern about the negative effects of rural gentrification, such as the commercialisation of rural space, the alienation of rural culture and the displacement of indigenous residents. This study examines the multifaceted nature of rural gentrification by observing two villages within the Moganshan Mountain area—the birthplace of rural B&Bs in China, and explores how these processes have been leveraged to promote rural revitalisation. Research findings suggest that disparities in original resources and property rights allocation underpinning the B&B industries among the first‐wave gentrifiers and the local villagers, when viewed through the lens of linked migration, may lead to different socioeconomic outcomes. The B&B industry's growth can either be exclusive, primarily favouring gentrifiers, or complementary, fostering mutual benefits and learning opportunities for both gentrifiers and local villagers. Moreover, forming a collaborative network of rural villagers, returning migrants, and external elites can contribute to rural revitalisation through gentrification. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of rural gentrification by adding evidence from the Global South and provide insights to inform Chinese rural revitalisation policies, especially alternatives to traditional state‐led revitalisation projects.

Decoding Destination Desires: The Influence of Social Media on Young Travelers' Choices Through Parasocial Interaction

This study aims to explore the influence of source credibility (attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness, and similarity) and fairness (distributive information, procedural, and interpersonal) on developing parasocial relationships between SMIs and their followers, and how these relationships lead to the marketing outcome of destination visit intentions between generation Y and Z. This study utilized a quantitative research method, specifically the self-administered questionnaire technique. The collected data was analysed using Smart PLS. The findings indicate that attractiveness (a sub-dimension of source credibility), distributive fairness, procedural fairness, and informational fairness have a significant influence on developing parasocial relationships between SMIs and generation Y and Z. Additionally, these parasocial relationships mediate the relationship between these factors and destination visit intentions. Furthermore, expertise, trustworthiness, similarity, and informational fairness do not influence parasocial relationships and intentions, which is not in line with previous literature. This research makes significant theoretical and practical contributions to the tourism marketing literature by providing evidence in regard to understanding destination visit intentions in the context of destination marketing.

Cinematic Influence: The Role of Film in Shaping Malaysians' Travel Intentions and Destination Choices

Film tourism has emerged as a significant factor in enhancing tourist numbers by drawing visitors to locations depicted in movies and dramas. This study explores films' influence on Malaysians' perceptions and intentions to travel to these destinations. Utilizing the push and pull theory, the research examines how movies affect Malaysians' travel motivations and destination choices. Data were gathered through an online survey involving 267 Malaysian moviegoers, selected via convenience sampling. The findings indicate that several factors, including the reflection of personal values and interests in movies, significantly influence the intention to travel. Respondents expressed a stronger connection and likelihood to visit destinations featured in films that resonate with their interests. The study suggests that future research could employ different methodologies further to explore the impact of movies on tourist perceptions globally. Additionally, the findings underscore the potential for filmmakers, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and local authorities to leverage films as powerful marketing tools to enhance tourist demand for real-life film locations.

When virtual others are with me: exploring the influence of social presence in virtual reality wine tourism experiences

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the role of social presence in enhancing positive behaviors in the virtual reality (VR)-based wine tourism context through an innovative approach.Design/methodology/approachTwo sequential experimental studies were conducted to test proposed hypotheses using Web and head-mounted display (HMD) VR formats. Specifically, Study 1 probed the influence of social presence on mental imagery, which subsequently impacted destination visit intention, drinking intent and memorable experience. Study 2 used a field experiment to explore the boundary effects of environmental cues (nature versus social) on social presence and a series of behavioral intentions using an HMD format.FindingsThe findings represent one of the first efforts to unravel the influence of social presence on positive behaviors through mental imagery and the moderating role of environmental cues.Research limitations/implicationsThis research enhances the understanding of wine tourism, drawing upon social presence theory and stimulus-organism-response framework.Practical implicationsThe outcomes provide valuable insights for wine tourism marketers in developing innovative marketing strategies by addressing the usage of social presence and environmental cues in a VR setting.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to enrich the existing knowledge of wine tourism by exploring the role of social presence and environmental cues in both Web and HMD VR formats.

Sports event quality and athlete’s behavioural intentions at the World Wrestling Championship

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic caused unpredictable times and led to changes in tourism, sporting society, and events organisations. Sports events were postponed or cancelled. Indeed, there was a need to reconstruct the event circumstances for safety reasons. Therefore, this study aimed to provide insights into relationships between sports event quality, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions (repeated destination visits, positive word-of-mouth communication) during the implementation of COVID-19 security risk measures. The sample included 150 athletes from the U23 World Wrestling Championship organised in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2021. The sport event quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions were measured with a questionnaire. The proposed model was assessed using a confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modeling using Smart PLS, SPSS, and AMOS. Results revealed a significant direct effect of the sport event quality (core dimension) and an indirect effect across satisfaction (tangibles and COVID-19 risk measures) on the athletes’ behavioural intentions. As wrestlers lived in a „bubble” and competed without spectators during the competition, it is not a surprise that the core dimension of service quality, including the competition itself, the opening ceremony, organisation, time schedule, medal ceremonies, and the total quality of the event, has a significant impact for wrestlers’ likelihood of coming back to the city or the country and to recommend the destination to others. Thisstudy contributes to advancing the general scientific knowledge concerning understanding sports events from the aspect of sports tourism and event organisation, especially in the post-COVID-19 era.

The psychological influence of perceived destination attributes in 360° virtual tours on tourists’ responses

ABSTRACT A 360° virtual tour experience integrates videos and smartphones to evoke tourists’ cognition, emotion, and heightened intentions. The present study investigates the impact of perceived destination attributes on information-seeking and destination visit intention when tourists are presented with a 360° virtual tour experience. The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework is extended to investigate this mechanism by incorporating perceived destination attributes as a stimulus, tourists’ perceived confidence, confirmation, and satisfaction as an organism, and information seeking and visit intention as a response. Data was collected from 260 tourists in India. The results reveal the strong influence of 360° media in generating perceived destination attributes, which has a significant and positive association with tourists’ perceived confidence and destination satisfaction. Findings based on Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) reveal that destination satisfaction is a strong predictor of information-seeking, and confirmation is a predictor of destination visit intention. The implications provide valuable insights to Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs), VR content creators, and policymakers for effectively promoting VR videos for tourism.

Revitalization of Fisheries Production Factors Supporting the Income of Traditional Fishermen in Tanjung Medang Village, Bengkalis

Coastal fisheries in Tanjung Medang Village, North Rupat District, Bengkalis Regency play an important role in shaping the economic characteristics and culture of its community. Physically, the North Rupat District is predominantly divided into residential areas along the inter-village roads and coastal areas that serve as the primary source of livelihood for most of its population. Now, North Rupat District has become a destination for both residents and visitors, impacting the existence of increasingly complex local economic resources and wisdom along the coastal areas of North Rupat District. Revitalization of coastal fisheries production factors is needed to improve economic life. Therefore, what model of economic development policy is needed to access traditional local economic resources to reduce local poverty? What kind of revitalization is required for traditional fishermen to utilize maritime economic resources fairly for the local population? The economic development policy for alternative marine economic resources involves integrating and collaborating the rights and obligations of state actors, private actors, and the public in maritime politics and economics. The revitalization of coastal fisheries production factors includes organizing the ecological integration of areas as traditional fishing grounds, tourism economic areas, and the originality of traditional culture across various disciplines, as well as fostering cultural integration among stakeholders and intergenerational concern among the Tanjung Medang community.

Optimized Decisions for Smart Tourism Destinations: A Cross-Generational Perspective Using an Improved Importance–Performance Analysis

Our study introduces an enhanced version of the Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) method, a powerful tool that can be applied across various domains. This method plays a crucial role in our research, aiding in making well-informed decisions about smart tourism destination attributes. We achieved this by evaluating how 911 consumers from four different generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z) rated these attributes based on their most recent tourist destination visit. Unlike traditional methods that often rely on subjective opinions or complex statistical models, the Improved IPA (IIPA) method offers a clear approach to decision-making. It enables decision-makers to focus on the most crucial attributes that drive consumer interest, thereby optimizing resource allocation and marketing efforts. Specifically, to remain competitive, decision-makers for smart tourist destinations should focus on queuing-time forecast and applications, websites, and content accessible for travelers with disabilities for Baby Boomers; e-complaint handling for Generation X; smart emergency response system for Millennials; and tourist-flow forecast, real-time traffic broadcast, electronic-entrance guard systems, and accessible data about physical design features of accommodation, restaurants, and tourist attractions for Generation Z. Theoretically, this study advances the research on managerial decision-making by demonstrating the effectiveness of the IIPA as a clear and straightforward method for making optimal decisions about product or service attributes. In practice, the study provides decision-makers with valuable insights into the importance of different categories of smart attributes in shaping the overall holiday experience at a tourist destination for Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z tourism consumers.

Integrating Pandemic Awareness with the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Travel Intention Study

ABSTRACT This study extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by incorporating perceived knowledge of COVID-19 (PKC) and destination overall image (DOI) to explore the travel intentions of Taiwanese and Chinese tourists to Vietnam post-pandemic. Utilizing a consistent PLS multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA), it contrasts the decision-making processes between these groups. The augmented TPB framework explains 81.9% of the variance in travel intentions. Key findings indicate that PKC significantly influences TPB determinants, with a more pronounced effect on Attitude toward behavior among Chinese respondents. Attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and DOI positively affect destination visit intention. These insights are critical for tourism marketers and policymakers in devising strategies to attract Taiwanese and Chinese tourists to Vietnam, highlighting the enhanced TPB model’s relevance in examining tourist behavior with pandemic awareness. This study paves the way for future research to further extend TPB concerning COVID-19’s impact.

Exploring the impact of social media content on travel envy and intention to visit destination: moderating role of narcissist admiration and rivalry

ABSTRACT Social networking sites significantly influence the behavioral intentions of travelers. Considering this as an avenue of future research, the current study explores how social media elements induce travel envy using multi-study approaches. Study 1 (N = 338) is an experimental study aimed at investigating the impact of post type (emotional vs. rational) and post content (luxury vs. non-luxury) on travel envy and intention to visit a destination (IVTD). Study 2 (N = 190) is a survey-based study that explores the moderating role of narcissism between travel envy and IVTD by considering both post content and type. Study 3 (N = 289) tests the composite model using survey-based and experimental-based research designs. The findings reveal the robust impact of post type and content in triggering travel envy and intentions amongst recipients of particular social media posts. The emotional-luxury post category has a relatively stronger influence on travel envy and travel intentions than the rational-non-luxury post type. Narcissism is found to play a moderating role in the relationship between travel envy and IVTD.

‘Are ad endorsements really annoying?’ The impact of advertising in short-form tourism videos on tourists’ information processing

ABSTRACT Short-form tourism videos show high effectiveness in online destination marketing. However, some disruptive factors (i.e. embedded endorsement advertisements) diminish their marketing effectiveness by burdening the viewer’s cognitive processing and breaking one’s online interactive experience with the original tourism-related content in the video. Using a between-subjects online experimental design and 354 valid data from short-form video users, this study explored the effect of interruption by advertisements on the cognitive experience evoked by information stimuli from the perspective of information processing. This study also assessed the difference in short-form tourism video information processing between disturbed and undisturbed situations. In general, results revealed that the formation of destination-related mental imagery in short-form tourism videos is influenced by information processing fluency, and co-predicted both the attitudes and behavioural intentions of travel consumers. Meanwhile, the presence of advertising information in short-form videos notably obstructed users’ information processing fluency as well as the formation of mental imagery, and it also attenuated their destination visit intentions. This study provides a theoretical basis for the moderate interpretation of endorsement advertisements in short-form tourism videos and sheds light on insights related to tourism marketing strategies for short-form tourism videos for relevant practising practitioners.

Evaluating the attractiveness of architectural destinations with content analysis method and artificial intelligence: the case of Ankara

ABSTRACT Determining the attractiveness of architectural destinations is important in revealing why visitors prefer these places. The study will help to identify the positive and negative aspects of buildings in terms of tourism in a wide scope and will also guide architects and designers in building design. From this point of view, the sample area of this study was determined as the city of Ankara. Ankara is a potential tourism destination as it is both the country’s capital and home to many historical buildings that shed light on the Republican era. The study method is based on content analysis of the comments of domestic and foreign tourists on architectural structures in the city on Tripadvisor, one of the leading digital travel platforms. The study is limited to eight (8) architectural structures. By analyzing the comments on the travel platform, the prominent themes in the attractiveness elements of architectural structures were identified. Although the numerical values obtained with artificial intelligence are different, the prominent contents are the same. The ability of artificial intelligence to interpret and analyze concepts constitutes an important method for qualitative analysis. As a result, the study found that the most attractive elements of architectural destinations for visitors are historical, cultural, and architectural values.

The impact of social media influencer's age cue on older adults' travel intention: The moderating roles of travel cues and travel constraints

The global aging population brings a growing older traveler market. This study applies social comparison theory to explore how travel influencers' age cues affect older adults’ travel intention through a dual process of assimilation (direct effect) and contrast (mediated by age identity). The moderating effects of travel cues (activity type and presence/absence of companions) and travel constraints are investigated as boundary conditions. Data were collected from older U.S. travelers through three online experiments. The results indicate that older travelers are inclined to visit destinations featured by old (vs. young) influencers, especially those with low intrapersonal or high interpersonal travel constraints. The marketing message is more effective when it features an old influencer pursuing a challenging (vs. relaxing) activity and a young influencer with companions (vs solo travel). The study findings provide valuable insight into leveraging social media influencer marketing for destinations and tourism businesses.