Real Bounce Forward: Experimental Evidence on Destination Crisis Marketing, Destination Trust, e-WOM and Global Expat’s Willingness to Travel during and after COVID-19

Abstract

The nexus of global tourism, disasters and sustainability have always been triggered by numerous crises, e.g., political unrest, wars, and pandemics. However, there is still fragmented research on destination crisis marketing, and its impact on willingness to travel remains largely unknown. To address this critical research gap, the present study used an experimental research design by framing destination crisis marketing campaigns (2 × 2 frames including DCM implemented versus DCM not implemented) and electronic word of mouth (2 × 2 frames including positive e-Wom versus negative e-Wom) to examine their impact on destination trust and global expat’s willingness to travel. Based on the experimental settings of global expats (N = 232; representing over 10 nationalities) with four framing groups (Group 1 to Group 4, configured in frames as ± DCM and ± e-Wom), the new evidence suggests that global expats who are provoked by positive crisis marketing campaigns and positive e-Wom (Group 4) have higher levels of destination trust than those who are exposed to either negative crisis marketing scenario and/or negative e-Wom (i.e., Group 1 to Group 3). The findings also revealed that global expat’s willingness to travel is significantly influenced by destination crisis marketing campaigns and e-Wom. Interestingly, for all framing groups (Group 1 to Group 4), the effects of destination crisis marketing and e-WOM on expat’s willingness to travel, was significantly mediated by destination trust. Utilizing prominent theories (i.e., signal theory, image repair theory and trust transfer theory), the study implications highlighted that crisis marketing and positive e-Wom could serve as the cornerstones for destinations to stay relevant, regenerate sustainable practices, as well as create new opportunities out of a crisis.

The Bridge at the End of the World: Linking Expat’s Pandemic Fatigue, Travel FOMO, Destination Crisis Marketing, and Vaxication for “Greatest of All Trips”

“…Crisis marketing is a set of marketing strategies to successfully lead a business out of a crisis while securing its strong and long-term future [11]. Integrated into the tourism industry, crisis marketing is the use of marketing strategies by tourism destinations as measures of survival (and subsequent revival) when faced with a crisis [11,46].…”

“…Crisis marketing is a set of marketing strategies to successfully lead a business out of a crisis while securing its strong and long-term future [11]. Integrated into the tourism industry, crisis marketing is the use of marketing strategies by tourism destinations as measures of survival (and subsequent revival) when faced with a crisis [11,46]. The fusion of crisis marketing with destination marketing gives birth to destination crisis marketing-a useful business tool for the revival of tourism and attracting prospective travelers during (and after) a crisis [11].…”

“…The emerging vaxication trend in response to the pandemic fatigue indicates a possible connection between the two tenets of tourism under (and after) COVID-19 [3,9]. Travel planners are stimulated to deploy crisis marketing campaigns using vaccine and vacation advertising bundles to encourage immunization among wishful travelers [10,11].…”

“…Similarly, destination crisis marketing can mobilize travelers towards vaxication intention while they find ways to overcome their pandemic fatigue [4,11]. Destination crisis marketing refers to a set of communications aligned with the travelers' unwavering expectations about destinations (e.g., authenticity, transparency, empathy, humility, creativity, and optimism) during a crisis (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic) [11]. By enduring crisis marketing strategies, tourism destinations can generate high appeal among travelers for their first trip after vaccination [11,22].…”

“…Destination crisis marketing refers to a set of communications aligned with the travelers' unwavering expectations about destinations (e.g., authenticity, transparency, empathy, humility, creativity, and optimism) during a crisis (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic) [11]. By enduring crisis marketing strategies, tourism destinations can generate high appeal among travelers for their first trip after vaccination [11,22]. Alternatively, ignorance of destination crisis marketing can impose a lack of destination visibility and preparedness for hosting a safe tourism experience [23].…”