Destination's social media communication and emotions: An investigation of visit intentions, word-of-mouth and travelers' facially expressed emotions. (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schoner-Schatz, Lisa; Hofmann, Verena; Stokburger-Sauer, Nicola E.
• Is Part Of: Journal of destination marketing & management. Volume 22(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: Endorser's emotion display -- Social media communication success -- Communicator's source -- Destination advertising -- Pre-visit stage -- EmFACS; Place marketing -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Management -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 658.8005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdmm.2021.100661
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2212-571X

Abstract

Abstract: Much research has been done on travelers' emotions and behavioral intentions during the visit stage and the post-visit stage. This paper, however, investigates the importance of emotions in the pre-visit stage in social media communication and how they influence travelers' intention to visit and word-of-mouth communication. Two laboratory experiments (n = 211 and n = 137) and a field study (n = 270) were conducted in a tourism destination in the midst of the Alps to test the proposed research model. Findings reveal that a smiling (vs. non-smiling) endorser in a destination's social media post more positively influences travelers' intention to visit and word-of-mouth than a non-smiling endorser. A marketer-generated post further reinforces the positive effect of a smiling endorser on intention to visit, while for a user-generated post, the smile does not matter. Emotional contagion is found as underlying mechanism for these effects. Implications for destination marketers and research are outlined. Highlights: Destination's social media posts should involve smiling endorsers. Smiling endorsers positively influence travelers' intention to visit and WOM. Differences are found for marketer-vs. user-generated social media posts. Emotion transfer from endorser to the traveler exists through emotional contagion. Use of EmFACS to measure travelers' facially expressed emotions.