Environmental or personal benefit? The role of message appeal and information type in destination social media advertisements
Environmental or personal benefit? The role of message appeal and information type in destination social media advertisements
Destinations are increasingly focusing on sustainability awareness through tourism campaigns, but effective communication remains challenging. This research, rooted in consumption value theory, delves into the influence of message appeal (environmental vs. personal benefit) and information type (objective vs. subjective) on tourists’ behavioral intentions through two online experiments. Study 1 demonstrates the positive impact of environmental benefit message appeals on behavioral intentions toward destinations, both directly and indirectly, by enhancing destination brand quality and perceived green value. Study 2 validates these findings and extends the analysis to include click-through behavior as a proxy for real behavior. Our research emphasizes the importance of environmental benefits alongside objective information in destinations’ sustainability messages within social media advertisements. This approach serves to bolster destination brand quality, perceived green value, and ultimately, positive behavioral intentions.
destination brand quality, environmental benefits, objective information, perceived green value, sustainability
Japutra, Arnold
004a3f8c-4d07-4cc7-8660-c5b3a5983760
Can, Ali Selcuk
dae25326-cbe4-490c-a6dc-86e1fe735851
Alphun, Cihan
30abbd54-6e6c-4394-a629-b6f478706786
Japutra, Arnold
004a3f8c-4d07-4cc7-8660-c5b3a5983760
Can, Ali Selcuk
dae25326-cbe4-490c-a6dc-86e1fe735851
Alphun, Cihan
30abbd54-6e6c-4394-a629-b6f478706786
Japutra, Arnold, Can, Ali Selcuk and Alphun, Cihan
(2024)
Environmental or personal benefit? The role of message appeal and information type in destination social media advertisements.
Journal of Travel Research.
(doi:10.1177/00472875241257271).
Abstract
Destinations are increasingly focusing on sustainability awareness through tourism campaigns, but effective communication remains challenging. This research, rooted in consumption value theory, delves into the influence of message appeal (environmental vs. personal benefit) and information type (objective vs. subjective) on tourists’ behavioral intentions through two online experiments. Study 1 demonstrates the positive impact of environmental benefit message appeals on behavioral intentions toward destinations, both directly and indirectly, by enhancing destination brand quality and perceived green value. Study 2 validates these findings and extends the analysis to include click-through behavior as a proxy for real behavior. Our research emphasizes the importance of environmental benefits alongside objective information in destinations’ sustainability messages within social media advertisements. This approach serves to bolster destination brand quality, perceived green value, and ultimately, positive behavioral intentions.
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japutra-et-al-2024-environmental-or-personal-benefit-the-role-of-message-appeal-and-information-type-in-destination
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e-pub ahead of print date: 25 June 2024
Keywords:
destination brand quality, environmental benefits, objective information, perceived green value, sustainability
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 500476
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/500476
ISSN: 0047-2875
PURE UUID: b3831bae-bf3a-4eaf-8099-1b5a202640d0
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Date deposited: 01 May 2025 16:31
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:49
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Contributors
Author:
Arnold Japutra
Author:
Ali Selcuk Can
Author:
Cihan Alphun
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