Effect of User Generated Content on Visit Intention Through Destination Image at Bejijong Tourism Village

Abstract

User-generated content (UGC) holds a crucial position in shaping tourists' perceptions of a destination. This study aims to investigate the influence of UGC on visit intention, as mediated by destination image. The research adopted a causal quantitative design and employed a purposive sampling technique. A total of 200 respondents who had viewed content related to Desa Wisata Kampung Majapahit via social media participated. The collected data were processed and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The analytical findings indicate that UGC significantly affects destination image. However, UGC does not demonstrate a direct impact on visit intention. Conversely, destination image was found to significantly influence visit intention and successfully acted as a mediator in the relationship between UGC and visit intention. These results underscore the role of user-generated content in fostering a positive destination image, which subsequently drives tourists' intention to visit. Practically, this study provides implications for tourism destination managers to optimize digital promotion strategies based on UGC by concentrating on strengthening the destination image