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

Öz

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.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Social media
• parasocial relationships
• social media influencer marketing
• destination marketing

Decoding destination desires: The influence of social media on young travelers' choices through Parasocial Interaction

Öz

Bu çalışma, kaynak güvenilirliğinin (çekicilik, uzmanlık, güvenilirlik ve benzerlik) ve adillik (dağıtımsal bilgi, prosedürel ve kişilerarası) özelliklerinin Sosyal medya fenomenleri ve takipçileri arasındaki parasosyal ilişkilerin geliştirilmesi üzerindeki etkisini ve bu ilişkilerin Y ve Z kuşakları arasındaki destinasyon ziyaret niyetlerinin pazarlama sonuçlarına nasıl yol açtığını araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Kartopu örneklem metodu veri toplama metodu olarak kullanılmıştır. Toplam 204 katılımcıya ulaşılarak 204 adet anket formu doldurtulmuştur. Toplanan veriler Smart PLS kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, çekiciliğin (kaynak güvenilirliğinin bir alt boyutu), dağıtımsal adaletin, prosedürel adaletin ve bilgisel adaletin, Sosyal medya fenomenleri ile Y ve Z kuşağı arasında parasosyal ilişkiler geliştirmede önemli bir etkiye sahip olduğunu ve bu parasosyal ilişkilerin, bu faktörler ile destinasyon ziyaret niyetleri arasındaki ilişkiye aracılık ettiğini göstermektedir. Ayrıca, uzmanlık, güvenilirlik, benzerlik ve bilgilendirici adillik, önceki literatürle uyumlu olmayan bir şekilde, parasosyal ilişkileri ve niyetleri etkilememektedir. Bu araştırma, destinasyon pazarlaması bağlamında destinasyon ziyaret niyetlerinin anlaşılmasına ilişkin kanıtlar sunarak turizm pazarlaması literatürüne önemli teorik ve pratik katkılar sağlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• sosyal medya
• parasosyal ilişkiler
• Sosyal medya fenomen pazarlaması
• Destinasyon pazarlaması

Kaynakça

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