Digital engagement, online brand experience, and social media credibility shaping visit intention via destination trust

This study investigates the impact of digital engagement, online brand experience, and social media credibility on intention to visit via destination trust. It aims to elucidate the mediating effect of destination trust on the relationship between digital stimuli and behavioral intention within the framework of heritage tourism. A quantitative research design was used employing survey data from prospective visitors to a major heritage destination in Indonesia. The relationships and mediation effects among the constructs were tested using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The results show that trust in a destination strongly affects the intention to visit. Digital engagement impacts the intention to visit indirectly through destination trust. Both online brand experience and social media trust positively impact destination trust and the intention to visit. The results indicate that trust serves as the primary psychological mechanism that connects digital marketing activities and tourists’ behavioral intentions. The experience and trust of the online content are more important than the level of interaction. This study identifies destination trust as the primary motivator of visit intention in the context of digital tourism marketing. Strengthening visitor trust through the provision of credible information and the cultivation of favorable brand experiences is vital. The results give a theoretical basis for trust-based destination marketing models and offer empirical evidence to tourism managers about trust-centered digital marketing communications.