How Destination Familiarity Impacts on Word of Mouth of Tourist Destinations: The Moderation Effects of Social Media Engagement

Abstract

With the advent of the Internet, communication has changed, and new concepts have emerged, especially in tourism. Today, there are many tourist destinations, so competition is increasing. However, cities must find an effective method of differentiating themselves and demonstrating the value of their brand through social media posts since almost everyone is active in the digital world. Using social media, citizens can create and send content or choose word-of-mouth to pass on information about touristic destinations. Communication is vital for marketing and building a close relationship with the customer. Familiarity with the destination is essential because tourists should be prepared for what they will find when visiting a country. This article aims to study the effects of familiarityn the acceptance of tourist destinations moderated by engagement in social media. A quantitative approach was used, and a questionnaire was used to conduct the researchUsing literature-tested scales, this study collected data from a sample of 915 individuals, which was analysed using SMART PLS software. The results identified that social media engagement is vital in moderating the relationship between familiarity with the destination, advertising stimulation and word of mouth.