The online platforms (i.e., websites and social media) of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) are among the most useful tools for building and promoting a destination image (DI). However, the associated effects on the DI have not been sufficiently studied and prior research has not assessed the influences of involvement on the DI formation process. The aim of this study is to explore the moderating effects of DMO online platforms on the DI through a conceptual model. The proposed model was empirically verified through an experiment and tested using PLS-SEM method. The findings demonstrate that tourist involvement has a positive impact on cognitive image and affective image, forming the DI as an antecedent of the intention to visit. The results also show that image formation and intention to visit the destination vary depending on the platform used by travelers to access the information.
Highlights-Smart cities with the most social media followers had the lowest levels of engagement via social media.-Instagram generated higher levels of user engagement for smart cities.-Most common smart city social media posts were related to information about events.-Social media is not used to offer smart services to visitors and residents.-Smart cities are failing to capitalise on possibilities offered by social media.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.