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Citation: Sun Y, Wen B (2026) Understanding journey intention formation in authorities tradition and tourism TikTookay accounts: An integration of the SOR mannequin and emotion appraisal concept. PLoS One 21(5):
e0349305.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0349305
Editor: Hai-Tao Yu, Guilin University of Technology, CHINA
Received: December 23, 2025; Accepted: April 27, 2026; Published: May 18, 2026
Copyright: © 2026 Sun, Wen. This is an open entry article distributed beneath the phrases of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows unrestricted use, distribution, and replica in any medium, supplied the unique creator and supply are credited.
Data Availability: All related information are inside the manuscript and its Supporting information information.
Funding: This research is funded by the “Anhui Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project”. Project Approval Number: AHSKYQ2023D015.
Competing pursuits: The authors have declared that no competing pursuits exist.
1. Introduction
In current years, the fast growth of quick video platforms has considerably influenced vacation spot advertising methods. Douyin, the Chinese mainland model of TikTookay, is among the largest quick video platforms in China. For consistency with the worldwide literature, Douyin is hereafter known as TikTookay on this research. Given its immersive interface, interactive options, and algorithm-driven suggestion system, TikTookay is extensively considered an essential digital platform for vacation spot picture dissemination. In response to this improvement, authorities tradition and tourism departments have actively established official TikTookay accounts. For occasion, the Henan tradition and tourism TikTookay account gained over one million followers in simply 4 days, and the Xi’an tradition and tourism TikTookay account is reported to have enhanced the town’s picture by leveraging the cultural IP “The Secret Box of the Prosperous Tang Dynasty” to have interaction youthful audiences. These authorities tradition and tourism TikTookay accounts (GCTTAs) have been more and more positioned as key channels in vacation spot branding. Unlike industrial manufacturers or unusual content material creators, GCTTAs usually are not merely content material producers. They carry out a composite position encompassing info dissemination and public communication [1], generally participating in interactive capabilities comparable to responding to feedback, supplementing exercise info, and addressing complaints and ideas. Accordingly, viewers evaluations of their communication effectiveness are formed not solely by the attractiveness of the content material itself, but in addition by their perceptions of the accounts’ public service efficiency. However, present analysis on quick video tourism advertising has paid restricted consideration to those twin mechanisms.
Current analysis on quick video advertising has largely developed round three main paradigms. The first is the experience-oriented paradigm, grounded in stream concept, which posits that the audiovisual stimulation of quick movies creates immersive presence, inducing stream experiences that improve viewers journey intentions [2,3]. The second is the cognitive-behavioral paradigm, primarily based on the SOR mannequin, which focuses on how video options stimulate customers’ perceptions and feelings to affect vacation spot decision-making [4,5]. The third is the technology-information processing paradigm, which employs the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Information Adoption Model (IAM), Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), and their extensions to look at how customers course of technological attributes and informational options of social media platforms, resulting in shifts in attitudes and behaviors [6–8]. Across these three paradigms, stimuli are primarily conceptualized because the technological attributes of quick video platforms or the traits of data content material and its modes of presentation. These stimuli embody the narrative transportation impact of quick movies [9], application-related options [10], and dimensions of data high quality comparable to comprehensiveness, relevance, timeliness, and supply experience [11]. Additionally, some research have targeted particularly on the narrative construction of quick movies and the characters in short-form movies [12], the visible and linguistic framing employed in tourism promotional quick movies [13]. Although some analysis has thought of the standard of tourism info on social media, it typically doesn’t specify the supply of the content material beneath examination [14,15]. This lack of specificity concerning content material supply could restrict the readability and robustness of the conclusions. In addition, some research have examined points associated to the reliability, effectivity, responsiveness, and perceived belief of presidency on-line companies inside the e-government literature [16–18]. However, e-government primarily capabilities to deal with particular affairs, and this differs basically from the capabilities and communication logic of presidency social media in tourism advertising. Therefore, the distinctive mechanisms underlying the relationships amongst info high quality, service high quality, and person behavioral responses within the context of presidency tourism communication stay insufficiently explored and warrant additional investigation.
To tackle the recognized analysis hole, this research attracts on the SOR mannequin and examines each info and repair stimuli on the stimulus stage to clarify the distinctive mechanisms predicting viewers journey intentions of GCTTAs. The SOR mannequin originates from the Stimulus–Response paradigm in behaviorism, which conceptualizes conduct as an observable and measurable response to exterior environmental stimuli [19]. However, this paradigm doesn’t account for the inner states of the organism that mediate responses to stimuli. To tackle this limitation, the SOR mannequin incorporates inner psychological processes into the reason of behavioral outcomes. It posits that environmental cues perceived by people activate inner analysis and psychological processing states, which subsequently result in constructive or detrimental behavioral responses [20]. The organism assemble initially referred primarily to emotional states, but it surely has since been prolonged to embody each cognitive and emotional dimensions of psychological processing [21]. The SOR framework has turn into a helpful lens for understanding the relationships amongst exterior inputs, emotional states, and behavioral outcomes [22]. However, the SOR mannequin doesn’t absolutely explicate the psychological processes by way of which feelings could emerge from cognitive processing. The emotion appraisal concept offers a essential complement for uncovering this inner mechanism. Arnold argued that feelings come up from people’ subjective cognitive appraisal of the which means of exterior stimuli [23]. Lazarus additional argued that feelings come up from a person’s appraisal of the relevance of a stimulus to non-public well-being inside a selected context, the appraisal course of is formed by each situational elements and the person’s psychological background [24]. Accordingly, feelings usually are not direct reactions to stimuli, however psychological outcomes generated after cognitive appraisal. Regarding how feelings affect conduct, Arnold proposed the motion sequence mannequin, suggesting that feelings activate motivational tendencies that subsequently information behavioral decisions [25]. Subsequent analysis has conceptualized this mechanism as a sequential course of through which cognitive appraisal elicits emotional responses, which in flip result in behavioral outcomes [26]. Moors famous that the emotion appraisal concept has turn into one of many central theoretical frameworks for explaining the connection between cognitive processing and emotional era, with its key contribution mendacity in clarifying the mediating position of feelings between stimuli and conduct [27].
Based on the above theoretical integration, this research conceptualizes the organism assemble within the context of GCTTAs as a psychological processing system composed of each cognitive appraisal and emotional response. Within this method, info high quality and repair high quality, as exterior stimuli, usually are not solely immediately related to viewers journey intentions but in addition not directly related to them by way of vacation spot picture notion and constructive feelings. In addition, greater ranges of vacation spot picture notion are related to stronger constructive feelings, indicating a doable sequential mediation construction. Accordingly, a multi-path relational construction is proposed inside the SOR mannequin, through which parallel and sequential results coexist, as illustrated in Fig 1.
This research makes three theoretical contributions to the sector of presidency social media tourism advertising. First, this research extends present analysis on service high quality by demonstrating that its behavioral results are contingent upon communication context. Prior research, largely grounded in industrial advertising settings, are inclined to conceptualize info high quality and repair high quality as parallel drivers that immediately affect shoppers’ behavioral intentions. However, the current findings problem this assumption by displaying that, within the context of GCTTAs, the 2 stimuli function by way of structurally totally different pathways. Specifically, info high quality exerts each direct and oblique associations with journey intention, whereas service high quality operates fully by way of mediators. This absolutely mediated construction means that service high quality in authorities tradition and tourism departments’ social media advertising doesn’t perform as a right away behavioral driver, however relatively as a relational sign that requires cognitive and emotional interpretation. This distinction advances present theoretical views by demonstrating that service high quality is just not a common direct predictor of viewers journey intention, however a context-contingent issue whose results are collectively formed by the character of the communication supply, the aims of communication, and the traits of the social media platform. This research offers a extra nuanced understanding of the mechanisms by way of which service high quality operates within the context of presidency tradition and tourism departments’ social media advertising. Second, this research introduces the Heuristic–Systematic Model (HSM) as a complementary theoretical perspective to clarify how various kinds of stimuli are related to viewers journey intentions within the authorities tradition and tourism departments’ social media advertising context. According to the HSM, info high quality capabilities as a content-based cue that’s immediately related to viewers journey intentions by way of heuristic processing, and not directly related to journey intentions by way of systematic processing by way of cognitive and emotional evaluations. In distinction, service high quality is extra prone to be perceived as a sign of the experience, authority, and responsiveness of presidency tradition and tourism departments. Its affiliation with viewers journey intentions primarily entails systematic processing and operates not directly by strengthening vacation spot picture notion and constructive feelings. The discovering offers a brand new perspective for distinguishing between transaction-oriented service high quality and public relationship-oriented service high quality. Third, this research advances the structural improvement of the SOR framework within the public communication context. Existing SOR analysis typically treats the organism as a single emotional or perceptual state and pays restricted consideration to its inner construction. By introducing emotion appraisal concept, this research divides the organism into two elements. The first is cognitive analysis, represented by vacation spot picture notion. The second is emotional expertise, represented by constructive feelings. The outcomes present empirical proof for a sequential affiliation, indicating that vacation spot picture notion is positively related to constructive feelings and follows a cognition-to-emotion development. This mechanism deepens the reason of inner psychological processes within the SOR framework and extends the mannequin from a stimulus emotion response construction to a stimulus cognition emotion response construction. This refinement deepens the reason of inner psychological processes inside the SOR mannequin and enhances its applicability in authorities tradition and tourism departments’ social media advertising analysis.
2. Literature evaluate and analysis hypotheses
2.1. The influence of data high quality on viewers journey intentions
Tourism is basically a phenomenon pushed by the continual stream and interpretation of data [28]. Travel selections are often made earlier than the precise vacation spot expertise, and shoppers are usually unable to completely confirm product high quality previous to precise consumption. Accordingly, info might be seen as a key hyperlink between potential vacationers and locations. Parvaneh et al. [29] identified that efficient info search can scale back danger and uncertainty in journey determination making and improve determination confidence. However, the extent to which info reduces perceived danger largely depends upon its high quality. High-quality info helps customers higher perceive services or products, entry related assist, and make extra knowledgeable selections [30]. Information high quality refers back to the viewers’s subjective analysis of whether or not the traits of data meet their wants and meant use [31]. It is often conceptualized as a multidimensional assemble, encompassing dimensions comparable to accuracy, consistency, interpretability, timeliness, and completeness [32,33]. As analysis has developed, the scale of data high quality have been up to date in keeping with particular analysis contexts. For instance, Filieri [34] measures the data high quality of digital phrase of mouth utilizing depth, factuality, breadth, relevance, and credibility. Considering the context of GCTTAs, this research measures quick video info high quality from three dimensions: content material high quality, utility high quality, and presentation high quality. Content high quality refers back to the extent to which the transmitted content material is in line with goal details [31], which helps keep the authority of presidency departments. Utility high quality refers back to the sensible worth of quick video content material for customers’ tourism consumption selections, aiming to cut back their info search price. Presentation high quality refers as to whether the quick video content material is concise, fluent, and straightforward to know, emphasizing the transformation of official narratives into immersive experiences by way of audiovisual language.
Numerous research counsel that influential on-line journey info on social media platforms is related to customers’ journey buy intentions, go to intentions, and word-of-mouth suggestions, thereby growing the probability of buying or visiting [4,35,36]. However, most research study the position of data high quality generated by tourism enterprises, comparable to OTA platforms and lodges, key opinion leaders, and unusual customers in relation to vacationer decision-making [37–39], whereas research on GCTTAs are restricted. Unlike business-generated content material or user-generated content material, authorities quick movies might be seen as a key channel by way of which authorities departments disseminate authoritative info. Accordingly, the core perform of GCTTAs is to offer the general public with authoritative and complete tradition and tourism info, assembly the data wants of potential vacationers earlier than journey selections. Guerrero-Rodríguez et al. [40] famous that official vacation spot promotional movies current the vacation spot positively to draw vacationers, which might improve customers’ go to intentions. Based on this, the research proposes the next speculation:
H1: The info high quality of tourism quick movies of GCTTAs is positively related to viewers journey intentions.
2.2. The influence of service high quality on viewers journey intentions
Service high quality is the core idea within the discipline of service advertising. Parasuraman et al. [41] identified that service high quality is the hole between prospects’ expectations and their precise experiences, which is essentially the most extensively accepted definition of service high quality. They developed the SERVQUAL scale, a five-dimensional framework comprising reliability, responsiveness, assurance, tangibles, and empathy, measured by way of 22 paired Likert-type objects. The SERVQUAL mannequin established the theoretical basis for measuring offline service high quality and has been extensively used to clarify consequence variables comparable to buyer satisfaction, loyalty, and behavioral intention. As service contexts have shifted to on-line environments, service high quality analysis has developed into the digital service high quality paradigm. Unlike offline settings, which emphasize bodily contact and private service, on-line companies rely extra on system stability, environment friendly suggestions, and the presentation of data by way of technological and content-related options. For instance, Iliachenko [42] famous that in on-line journey buying contexts, the interactivity and knowledge traits of tourism web sites are anticipated to have a powerful affect on customers. Chan et al. [43] discovered that lodge web site capabilities and credible evaluations improve client engagement and reserving intention. Several research have additionally examined service high quality within the discipline of e-government and proposed the e-GovQual mannequin, which incorporates service usability, ease of use, safety, belief, info high quality, and public assist [16,17,44]. However, present analysis primarily focuses both on industrial platforms and transaction selections or on public affairs platforms. Limited consideration has been given to authorities tradition and tourism departments’ social media accounts that mix vacation spot picture promotion and public communication capabilities.
To tackle this hole, constructing on prior analysis and contemplating the traits of GCTTAs, this research conceptualizes service high quality as a multidimensional assemble comprising reliability, responsiveness, and assurance, and treats it as a key antecedent of viewers journey intentions. Unlike info high quality, which focuses on the analysis of content material attributes of quick movies, service high quality emphasizes viewers perceptions of the general efficiency of presidency tourism departments in delivering info and companies by way of the TikTookay platform. This notion represents an account-level analysis. Specifically, responsiveness refers back to the timeliness of replying to viewers feedback, the accessibility of suggestions on ideas, and the supply of interactive service capabilities, reflecting the effectivity and supportiveness of GCTTAs in person interactions. Assurance captures viewers perceptions of the GCTTAs’ trustworthiness, skilled competence, and repair angle, thereby reflecting the credibility of the federal government tradition and tourism departments as a public service supplier. Reliability is often outlined as customers’ belief within the accuracy and timeliness of the service supply course of [17]. In this research, it particularly refers to audiences’ general notion and analysis of the steadiness, timeliness, and trustworthiness demonstrated by authorities tradition and tourism departments in delivering info and companies by way of the TikTookay platform. Based on this evaluation, the next speculation is proposed:
H2: The service high quality of GCTTAs is positively related to viewers journey intentions.
2.3. The mediating position of vacation spot picture notion
Tasci and Gartner [45] said that vacation spot picture formation is the psychological illustration of a vacation spot shaped after people choose and course of info cues from varied picture formation brokers. This definition highlights that info sources and their traits are intently related to picture building. Early research targeted on the position of conventional media in shaping vacation spot picture and argued that media form viewers perceptions of locations by way of visible symbols and narrative framing [46]. With the rise of social media, on-line tourism info high quality has turn into an essential consider shaping the web tourism market and selling vacation spot picture formation. Kim et al. [30] developed a multidimensional mannequin of on-line tourism info high quality in social media contexts and examined how content material cues and non-content cues are positively associated to customers’ impressions of locations. A constructive vacation spot picture performs a essential position in post-visit analysis and future journey intentions [47,48]. This implies that vacation spot picture notion serves as a mediating mechanism linking info high quality and journey intention, which represents an essential mechanism in tourism communication. In phrases of media format, prior analysis has instructed that promotional movies are related to vacationers’ perceptions of vacation spot picture [49]. Compared with textual content and image-based info, quick movies combine a number of parts comparable to visuals, coloration, music, textual content, and particular results. Well-designed quick movies affect customers’ notion of vacation spot picture and journey intention by way of a mixed sensory impact [50].
In addition to information-related elements, service high quality has been recognized as an essential determinant of vacation spot picture. Prior analysis has extensively examined the connection between service high quality and vacation spot picture [51,52]. However, present research on service high quality primarily concentrate on conventional tourism enterprises or offline service settings, emphasizing the position of assurance, responsiveness, tangible amenities, empathy, reliability, and high quality of instructions in shaping vacation spot picture throughout service encounters [53]. In distinction, GCTTAs don’t contain face-to-face service interactions, and audiences consider service high quality primarily by way of on-line info companies and interplay experiences, such because the timeliness of remark responses and the effectiveness of problem decision. Nevertheless, people nonetheless combine perceived service cues throughout destination-related contact and assemble vacation spot picture on the cognitive stage [54]. Accordingly, within the context of GCTTAs, greater ranges of interplay and repair assist are related to extra favorable cognitive evaluations of the vacation spot picture. Prior analysis has proven that vacation spot picture is ready to partially mediate the impact of service high quality on journey intention [55]. Based on this evaluation, the next hypotheses are proposed:
H3: Destination picture notion mediates the connection between info high quality of GCTTAs and viewers journey intentions.
H4: Destination picture notion mediates the connection between service high quality of GCTTAs and viewers journey intentions.
2.4. The mediating position of constructive feelings
In tourism analysis, constructive feelings are sometimes described as emotions of enjoyment, affection, and shock [56]. Within the SOR framework, constructive feelings symbolize an inner organismic state that hyperlinks environmental stimuli and behavioral responses. Positive feelings come up from a number of situational and cognitive elements. First, on the stage of situational stimuli, the bodily atmosphere and spatial expertise created by offline tourism locations are noticed to be essential stimulating elements for the viewers’s constructive feelings [57]. Similarly, the media atmosphere created by on-line tourism quick movies is considerably related to viewers emotional responses [58]. Second, on the stage of service stimuli, social service environments (together with workers emotional expression and buyer interplay ambiance), perceived service high quality, and interactions between vacationers have been discovered to be positively associated to the formation of constructive feelings [59–61]. In quick video advertising contexts, audiences develop emotional responses whereas processing multimodal info (e.g., pictures, music, and textual content) associated to themes, merchandise, or locations. These emotional responses are subsequently related to journey decision-making [62]. This course of highlights the position of informational cues in eliciting constructive feelings. In parallel, prior analysis has additionally demonstrated the significance of service-related elements in shaping constructive emotional responses. For instance, Kim and Lennon [63] identified that e-service high quality is a prerequisite for customers’ on-line emotional expertise; Rasheed [64] discovered that the top quality of on-line companies predicts greater ranges of shoppers’ constructive feelings comparable to pleasure, arousal, and happiness. As an irrational motivator affecting customer conduct, constructive feelings are thought of a decisive consider predicting guests’ motivations and journey intention [60,65].
The integration of the SOR mannequin and emotion appraisal concept within the earlier evaluation signifies that environmental stimuli are related to cognitive analysis, which is, in flip, associated to emotional responses. In the tourism context, vacation spot picture is often considered the general cognitive analysis shaped after vacationers combine their judgments of vacation spot atmosphere and attributes [66]. A constructive analysis of vacation spot picture has been discovered to be positively related to vacationers’ emotional experiences [67], evoking constructive feelings comparable to shock and happiness [68]. Based on this reasoning, within the context of GCTTAs, info high quality and repair high quality are related to constructive feelings by way of vacation spot picture notion. Positive feelings have been proven to foretell greater ranges of method motivation and journey intention. Based on the above evaluation, the next hypotheses are proposed:
H5: Positive feelings mediate the connection between the data high quality of GCTTAs and viewers journey intentions.
H6: Positive feelings mediate the connection between the service high quality of GCTTAs and viewers journey intentions.
H7: Destination picture notion and constructive feelings play a sequential mediating position between info high quality of GCTTAs and viewers journey intentions.
H8: Destination picture notion and constructive feelings play a sequential mediating position between service high quality of GCTTAs and viewers journey intentions.
3. Research design
3.1. Variable measurement
All measurement scales have been adopted from well-established prior research. In the method of scale improvement, this research strictly adopted cross-cultural analysis procedures and adopted a three-stage process to make sure the validity of the measurement instrument. First, primarily based on mature worldwide scales, localization adaptation was performed. The authentic English questionnaire was translated and back-translated by the researchers, and wording changes have been made to cut back semantic ambiguity. On this foundation, two specialists in tourism administration have been invited to offer ideas and revisions. After a number of rounds of modification, the ultimate questionnaire was confirmed. In the formal survey, info high quality, service high quality, vacation spot picture notion, constructive feelings, and journey intention have been measured utilizing a seven-point Likert scale starting from 1 strongly disagree to 7 strongly agree.
In the measurement mannequin, info high quality and repair high quality have been specified as second-order latent constructs. Information high quality of GCTTAs was conceptualized as a multidimensional assemble consisting of content material high quality, usefulness high quality, and presentation high quality, every measured with three objects. Service high quality was measured utilizing 9 objects throughout three dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, and assurance. The measurement objects for info high quality have been tailored from Kim et al., Jiang et al., and DeLone and McLean [30,31,69]. For instance, the merchandise assessing whether or not evaluate info is definitely understood in Jiang et al. [31] was revised to judge whether or not quick movies posted by authorities cultural tourism TikTookay accounts are simple to know. The measurement objects for service high quality have been tailored from Parasuraman et al., Zhang, and Kuo [18,41,70]. For instance, the unique merchandise assessing whether or not the data supplied by an official WeChat account is authoritative and reliable, proposed by Zhang [18], was tailored to evaluate whether or not GCTTAs are authoritative official sources of data. This adaptation improves contextual relevance and readability of measurement whereas preserving the unique assemble which means. The measurement of constructive feelings was tailored from the scales developed by Qiu et al., Hosany et al. [68,71], together with 5 objects describing relaxed, nice, excited, fascinating, and shocked emotions. Destination picture notion was measured utilizing three objects tailored from Prayag et al., Baloglu and McCleary, Echtner and Ritchie [72–74]. For instance, Prayag et al. [72] measured general vacation spot impression utilizing semantic differential evaluations starting from unfavourable to beneficial. In this research, the analysis was tailored to evaluate whether or not audiences understand the vacation spot as having a positive general picture after watching the quick movies. Travel intention was measured utilizing the dimensions developed by Fu et al. [75], together with three objects assessing suggestion intention, go to intention, and constructive word-of-mouth intention towards the vacation spot.
3.2. Sample assortment
This research adopted a non-probability sampling methodology. From mid September to early October 2023, digital questionnaires have been distributed by way of WeChat and TikTookay platforms. The survey was administered by way of the Wenjuanxing platform, which was configured to stop a number of submissions by blocking duplicate responses from the identical login account, IP tackle, and gadget. The system routinely collected the questionnaires after submission. To enhance pattern high quality and scale back invalid responses, a number of management measures have been utilized throughout information assortment. First, a standardized clarification of GCTTAs was supplied on the primary web page of the questionnaire. It clearly said that these accounts are formally licensed and operated by authorities tradition and tourism departments at totally different administrative ranges, often with official verification marks on the TikTookay platform. These accounts primarily publish vacation spot promotion info and undertake public communication capabilities. Second, to make sure the relevance and validity of the pattern, a screening query was included. The query requested whether or not the respondent had watched tourism quick movies revealed by GCTTAs. Only respondents who had beforehand seen or adopted such content material have been included within the survey. Third, concerning recruitment procedures, the questionnaire was disseminated on WeChat primarily by way of tourism-related curiosity teams, with further distribution facilitated by way of snowball sampling; on TikTookay, contributors have been recruited by way of direct messaging, whereby customers have been randomly chosen from those that had beforehand commented on quick movies posted by GCTTAs and have been invited to voluntarily take part within the survey. At final, primarily based on testing about response time, questionnaires accomplished in lower than 90 seconds have been thought of invalid and faraway from the dataset to reduce careless responses.
This research collected information by way of an nameless on-line survey. The survey didn’t contain delicate or high-risk subjects and was labeled as minimal-risk analysis. All contributors have been knowledgeable of the analysis objective, procedures, potential dangers, and their rights earlier than participation. For minors, parental or authorized guardian consent was required previous to participation. Participation was fully voluntary. Informed consent was obtained electronically initially of the questionnaire. Only contributors who clicked the Agree and Participate button have been allowed to proceed, and submission of the finished questionnaire was considered consent to take part. No personally identifiable info was collected. The analysis protocol was authorized by the institutional ethics committee and was performed in accordance with related moral tips.
A complete of 424 questionnaires have been collected. After screening primarily based on whether or not respondents had watched GCTTAs and on response time lower than 90 seconds, 406 legitimate questionnaires have been retained, leading to an efficient response price of 95.8 p.c. In the pattern, 44.1 p.c have been feminine. Generation Z respondents born between 1995 and 2009 accounted for 51.5 p.c. A complete of 230 respondents had a bachelor’s diploma, accounting for 56.7 p.c, which was the biggest schooling group. In phrases of occupation, firm workers, college students, and workers of public establishments accounted for 45.8 p.c, 27.6 p.c, and 15.8 p.c, respectively. Regarding month-to-month revenue, 33.3 p.c earned lower than 3000 RMB, and 31.8 p.c earned between 3001 and 5000 RMB. In phrases of quick video utilization, 66 p.c of respondents reported each day viewing time between half-hour and a couple of hours, whereas 8.9 p.c reported greater than 2 hours per day. Another 25.1 p.c reported lower than half-hour per day. Overall, the pattern primarily consisted of medium to excessive frequency customers. This signifies that the majority respondents had steady and steady utilization expertise with the TikTookay platform, together with its content material ecosystem, interplay patterns, and knowledge presentation format. Therefore, they have been capable of present comparatively dependable evaluations of the data and repair efficiency of GCTTAs.
4. Data evaluation and outcomes
4.1. Reliability and validity evaluation
SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0 have been used for information evaluation. To consider the reliability and accuracy of the measurement devices, a number of metrics have been employed, together with Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability (CR), and common variance extracted (AVE). As proven in Table 1, all standardized issue loadings of the measurement objects are better than 0.6, the CR values are above 0.8, and the AVE values are above 0.5. These outcomes point out that the latent constructs on this research show good convergent validity. Since the information have been collected by way of self-reported questionnaires, Harman’s single-factor check was performed to look at the potential severity of widespread methodology bias. The outcomes of principal part evaluation present that the primary principal part explains 38.928 p.c of the whole variance, which is under the edge of 40 p.c. This means that widespread methodology bias is just not a critical concern on this research.
To study the discriminant validity of the latent variables, confirmatory issue evaluation (CFA) was performed by evaluating the theoretical five-factor mannequin with a number of competing fashions. According to the really useful standards summarized by Wu [76], a mannequin demonstrates good match when χ²/df falls between 1 and three, GFI, NFI, IFI, and CFI are better than 0.90, RMSEA is lower than 0.08, and SRMR is lower than 0.05. As proven in Table 2, apart from GFI, all match indices of the five-factor mannequin (M1) happy these really useful thresholds. Although the GFI worth of M1 is 0.885, which is barely under the really useful threshold of 0.9, many researchers contemplate GFI values between 0.80 and 0.89 as indicating a suitable mannequin match [77]. The χ²/df, RMSEA, GFI, NFI, IFI, and CFI values of M1 are all higher than these of Models M2 to M6, indicating that the proposed mannequin offers one of the best match to the information. In explicit, the mannequin (M3) combining vacation spot picture notion and constructive feelings right into a single issue confirmed considerably poorer match than the proposed five-factor mannequin. This consequence means that organism states might be clearly distinguished into cognitive and emotional dimensions. This discovering offers assist for the proposed parallel mediation and serial mediation hypotheses. Overall, the results of CFA helps passable discriminant validity amongst info high quality, service high quality, constructive feelings, vacation spot picture notion, and journey intention.
Finally, to evaluate the potential affect of widespread methodology bias, an unmeasured latent methodology issue was included into the baseline mannequin to type Model M7. The modifications in mannequin match indices between M1 and M7 have been then examined. The outcomes confirmed that ΔGFI = 0.015, ΔRMSEA = 0.003, ΔNFI = 0.012, ΔIFI = 0.009, and ΔCFI = 0.009. Following the mannequin comparability tips proposed by Chen [78] for evaluating modifications in match indices, when the change in match indices is lower than 0.02, the development in mannequin match is taken into account insignificant. Therefore, the inclusion of the unmeasured latent methodology issue doesn’t considerably enhance mannequin match, suggesting that widespread methodology bias is unlikely to pose a critical risk to the findings.
4.2. Hypothesis testing
The structural equation mannequin was performed to check the hypothesized relationships, and the outcomes are introduced in Table 3. The path coefficient from info high quality to journey intention is constructive and important (β = 0.208, p < 0.01); subsequently, H1 is supported. The path coefficient from service high quality to journey intention is just not important (β = 0.025, p > 0.05); subsequently, H2 is just not supported.
Bootstrapping analyses have been carried out to evaluate oblique associations. The outcomes point out that info high quality was considerably not directly related to journey intention by way of vacation spot picture (β = 0.133, p < 0.001) and thru constructive feelings (β = 0.073, p < 0.01). A big sequential oblique affiliation by way of vacation spot picture and constructive feelings was additionally noticed (β = 0.018, p < 0.05). The bias-corrected and percentile 95% confidence intervals for these oblique paths didn’t embody zero. Therefore, H3, H5, and H7 are supported. Both the direct and oblique results of data high quality on journey intention have been important and constructive, indicating a sample of complementary mediation [79]. Similarly, service high quality demonstrated important oblique associations with journey intention by way of vacation spot picture (β = 0.160, p < 0.01) and constructive feelings (β = 0.041, p < 0.05), in addition to a major sequential oblique affiliation by way of vacation spot picture and constructive feelings (β = 0.022, p < 0.05). The bias-corrected and percentile corresponding 95% confidence intervals excluded zero. Therefore, H4, H6, and H8 are supported. As the direct affiliation between service high quality and journey intention was not important, this sample corresponds to indirect-only mediation [79].
4.3. Robustness exams
Multi-group structural equation modeling (MGSEM) is extensively used to look at heterogeneity throughout totally different populations. This method permits the simultaneous evaluation of a number of samples to evaluate whether or not the conceptual mannequin proposed within the research demonstrates consistency or variation throughout totally different teams [80]. The core of multi-group structural equation modeling lies in testing measurement and structural invariance by imposing a sequence of more and more restrictive parameter constraints and evaluating nested fashions throughout teams. Specifically, the evaluation usually begins with an unconstrained baseline mannequin, through which no equality constraints are imposed throughout teams. Subsequently, parameter constraints are launched step-by-step, and every constrained mannequin is in contrast with the previous mannequin. Changes in mannequin match indices (e.g., CFI and RMSEA), in addition to their variations (e.g., ∆CFI), are examined to find out whether or not the imposition of constraints results in a major deterioration in mannequin match, thereby indicating whether or not invariance holds throughout teams. The generally examined nested fashions embody the unconstrained mannequin, measurement weights mannequin, structural weights mannequin, structural covariances mannequin, structural residuals mannequin, and measurement residuals mannequin. These fashions collectively symbolize a hierarchical testing course of from measurement invariance to structural invariance.
Gender and age are essential segmentation variables in advertising analysis, as shoppers of various demographic teams could exhibit distinct patterns in buy conduct, model desire, and product utilization. Accordingly, this research performed multi-group analyses primarily based on gender and age. Specifically, the whole pattern was divided into male (N = 227) and feminine (N = 179) teams. For age classification, the unique pattern consisted of respondents born earlier than 1980 (N = 36), Millennials (1980–1994, N = 154), Generation Z (1995–2009, N = 209), and people born after 2010 (N = 7). Given that multi-group structural equation modeling requires an inexpensive stability in pattern dimension, with the ratio between teams not exceeding 2:1 (Hair et al., 2018), the age teams have been additional consolidated. Respondents born in or earlier than 1994 (N = 190) have been categorized because the older group, whereas these born in or after 1995 (N = 216) have been labeled because the youthful group, thus satisfying the pattern dimension necessities for multi-group evaluation.
In addition, this research employed each day TikTookay utilization period as a key indicator of person engagement and adopted one hour because the cutoff level to tell apart utilization frequency. Prior analysis means that limiting social media use to roughly 60 minutes per day represents a significant behavioral threshold, as exceeding this stage is related to decrease well-being and extra detrimental psychological outcomes [81]. Accordingly, respondents who reported utilizing TikTookay for lower than one hour per day (inside half-hour, N = 102; half-hour to 1 hour, N = 122) have been labeled because the low-frequency group (N = 224), whereas those that used TikTookay for a couple of hour per day (1–2 hours, N = 146; greater than 2 hours, N = 36) have been categorized because the high-frequency group (N = 182).
To assess the robustness of the proposed mannequin throughout totally different teams, multi-group invariance exams have been performed primarily based on gender, age, and utilization frequency, and the outcomes are introduced in Table 4. The unconstrained fashions exhibit acceptable match throughout all teams (CFI > 0.90, RMSEA < 0.08), supporting configural invariance. As more and more restrictive constraints have been imposed, modifications in mannequin match remained minimal, and the chi-square distinction exams for many nested fashions have been non-significant (p > 0.05). Although the chi-square distinction check is important in some circumstances (e.g., the structural weights mannequin for gender and the measurement residuals fashions for gender and age), the corresponding ∆CFI values stay nicely under the 0.01 threshold, supporting the invariance assumption [82].
Overall, the multi-group invariance check outcomes show that the proposed mannequin is invariant throughout gender, age, and utilization frequency teams, suggesting no significant group variations and confirming the robustness of the findings.
5. Conclusions and implications
5.1. Conclusions
This research finds that within the context of GCTTAs, info stimuli and repair stimuli relate to journey intention by way of totally different structural patterns. This distinction might be additional defined from the attitude of data processing. The HSM proposes that people could course of info by way of a scientific route by rigorously analyzing message content material, or by way of a heuristic route by counting on easy cues to make fast judgments [83].
In the context of GCTTAs, the primary communicators are workers from authorities tradition and tourism departments. This particular institutional id offers them with inherent authority and credibility, which permits authorities quick movies to transmit info extra successfully [84]. The heuristic processing route means that people could make fast judgments primarily based on easy informational cues, comparable to counting on the perceived reliability of professional opinions [85]. When people are uncovered to info from extremely credible sources, their perceived danger and determination uncertainty are decreased. As a consequence, they’re extra prone to undertake a heuristic processing technique and make fast evaluations [86,87]. This shortened cognitive path implies that info high quality can immediately predict viewers journey intention. Hu et al. [88] identified that sensible info, comparable to completeness and relevance, is extra prone to set off vacationers’ systematic processing than leisure info. Therefore, when info is complicated or entails private pursuits, people have a tendency to have interaction in systematic processing, rigorously analyzing the content material and logic to weigh professionals and cons earlier than making judgments. Thus, high-quality info supplied by GCTTAs is related to viewers journey intentions by way of a number of cognitive pathways.
Compared with info high quality, the service high quality of GCTTAs is just not considerably immediately related to viewers journey intentions. This discovering could also be attributed to the evaluative nature of service high quality [89]. Based on the HSM, service high quality is a complete analysis shaped by way of ongoing interactions and usually requires better cognitive effort and systematic processing [90]. In the context of GCTTAs, service high quality depends upon ongoing interactions and relationship upkeep. As such, restricted short-term interactions make it tough for customers to type steady evaluations, decreasing the probability that service high quality serves as a right away cue immediately related to journey intentions. However, as interactions between audiences and GCTTAs accumulate over time and belief develops, service high quality is related to extra favorable vacation spot picture notion and constructive feelings, and is not directly related to customers’ journey intentions by way of these pathways [91]. This means that service high quality is basically a relationship-oriented stimulus, and its affiliation with viewers journey intentions operates primarily by way of cognitive and emotional mediating mechanisms relatively than by way of direct hyperlinks. This mechanism additionally gives a theoretical clarification for the sequential mediation from vacation spot picture to constructive feelings recognized on this research. Furthermore, from the attitude of media context, the algorithm-driven suggestion mechanisms and fast-paced content material consumption on short-video platforms reinforce audiences’ reliance on heuristic processing, making a decision-making atmosphere characterised by low cognitive effort and fast judgments. In such contexts, audiences are inclined to rely extra on intuitive informational cues and emotional experiences, whereas participating much less in systematic analysis of service interactions. As service high quality inherently depends upon systematic processing, a mismatch arises between its underlying processing route and the heuristic-dominated determination atmosphere, thereby weakening its speedy influence on journey intentions.
Destination picture notion and constructive feelings are statistically related to the relationships between info high quality, service high quality, and viewers journey intentions within the context of GCTTAs. This discovering is in line with earlier research [55,91–93]. The current research offers further empirical assist for this mediation sample inside the context of GCTTAs. This means that, within the context of social media advertising by authorities tradition and tourism departments, audiences’ general cognitive analysis of a vacation spot and their emotional expertise stay essential psychological bridges within the formation of journey intention.
In addition, this research not solely offers proof of mediation patterns but in addition additional explores the associations amongst organism variables. Different from prior analysis that emphasizes the pathway through which emotion is related to vacation spot picture, which in flip is said to journey intention [94,95], this research suggests an alternate directional affiliation. Specifically, within the communication context of GCTTAs, vacation spot picture notion is positively related to constructive feelings, which is additional linked to journey intention. This discovering is in line with emotion appraisal concept, which posits that feelings come up from people’ cognitive appraisal of exterior stimuli [23]. This discovering offers further empirical assist for the applicability of the emotion appraisal concept within the context of social media advertising by authorities tradition and tourism departments.
5.2. Managerial implications
First, the formation of journey intentions is strongly related to info high quality. Short movies that ship richer info and stimulate a number of senses are thought of extra persuasive in shaping buyer attitudes and behaviors [96]. Therefore, authorities tradition and tourism departments mustn’t solely present decision-relevant info of their content material manufacturing, but in addition deliberately incorporate image-enhancing parts and emotional cues. At the operational stage, within the first three seconds of a video, distinctive visible scenes and structured titles can be utilized to rapidly current the distinctive cultural symbols of the vacation spot. In the primary content material, info density could also be enhanced by clearly presenting key determination info, comparable to featured experiences, one of the best journey interval, and scenic spot ticket insurance policies. At the identical time, by integrating authoritative info sources, actual scene shows, and narrative storytelling of private experiences, an immersive ambiance might be created to stimulate constructive feelings comparable to pleasure and anticipation. By integrating determination assist, picture reinforcement, and emotional expression inside the similar content material framework, GCTTAs can concurrently strengthen the direct affiliation of data high quality with journey intention and its oblique associations by way of cognitive and emotional pathways.
Second, the core worth of service administration is mirrored in its position in influencing vacation spot picture and constructive feelings. Social media is just not solely a channel for info launch, but in addition a platform for person interplay. Therefore, authorities tradition and tourism departments ought to undertake a relationship-oriented service perspective and improve their responsiveness to customers’ info wants by way of the continual provision of clear, dependable, and focused decision-support info, thereby enhancing service professionalism and interplay high quality. They may also monitor and analyze destination-related info revealed by suppliers, intermediaries, residents, media, and vacationers, and reply by way of clear intervention methods [97]. This course of strengthens the hyperlink between perceived service professionalism and vacation spot reliability, thereby contributing to the buildup of vacation spot model fairness over time. In addition, through the use of the service capabilities of the TikTookay platform, GCTTAs can embed an clever service window within the quick video interface and supply real-time session by way of AI customer support. They may also conduct common reside streaming classes to reply questions and improve authenticity and sense of presence by way of face-to-face communication. Continuous interactive experiences assist decrease perceived determination uncertainty and reinforce constructive feelings, each of that are intently linked to journey intention. Furthermore, shoppers are inclined to desire merchandise and types from corporations that permit them to submit suggestions [98]. Therefore, authorities tradition and tourism departments can improve audiences’ sense of participation and belonging by amassing person suggestions or encouraging person co-creation. In this manner, the service course of itself capabilities as an essential supply of emotional worth in vacation spot communication.
Third, this research finds that vacation spot picture notion precedes constructive feelings, which means that quick video content material ought to comply with a psychological path from cognitive building to emotional reinforcement. In apply, GCTTAs can repeatedly strengthen the core picture positioning by way of thematic sequence content material. For instance, structured content material might be developed round dimensions comparable to regional tradition, pure landscapes, or native life-style. In this course of, extremely recognizable regional cultural IP parts, comparable to landmark structure, conventional customs, distinctive dialects, or consultant symbols, might be embedded to boost picture distinctiveness and cognitive readability. Emotional enchantment might be enhanced by way of methods comparable to music rhythm, diverse digital camera work, and storytelling of private experiences. These methods contribute to an immersive expertise and a way of involvement, that are linked to the emergence of constructive feelings following cognitive analysis.
5.3. Limitations and future analysis
This research has a number of limitations. First, this research relies on cross-sectional survey information, with all variables measured at a single time limit; subsequently, strict causal inferences can’t be established. Although the structural mannequin was developed primarily based on well-established theoretical frameworks and the relationships amongst variables have been examined utilizing structural equation modeling, the findings must be interpreted as statistical associations relatively than definitive causal results. Future analysis might make use of longitudinal designs or experimental strategies to extra rigorously study the causal relationships amongst these variables.
Second, the mannequin proposed on this research relies on the traits of GCTTAs. Therefore, the applicability of the findings to different social media platforms or to tradition and tourism communication contexts in several international locations nonetheless wants additional examination. Future analysis can conduct comparative analyses throughout various kinds of social media platforms or perform cross-cultural research to discover the similarities and variations of presidency tradition and tourism advertising mechanisms beneath totally different platform options and cultural backgrounds.
Finally, this research adopted a linear structural equation mannequin to investigate the relationships amongst variables. However, the quick video communication atmosphere is characterised by excessive interactivity and algorithmic suggestions. Audience vacation spot picture notion and emotional responses could exhibit nonlinear patterns or threshold results. Future analysis might combine machine studying approaches or complicated methods evaluation to higher perceive how social media advertising by authorities tradition and tourism departments is related to viewers journey intentions.
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