The role of UGC TikTok in mediating trust in sustainable ecotourism visit intentions
Keywords:
User generated content, Ecotourism, Destination image, Visit intentions, Sustainable tourism, User generated content, Ecotourism, Destination image, Visit intentions, Sustainable tourismAbstract
This study analyzes the strategic role of TikTok’s User-Generated Content (UGC) as electronic Word of Mouth (EWOM) in promoting Merapi’s Kalitalang Ecotourism. The research method used is an explanatory quantitative approach using analytical techniques Structural Equation Modeling - Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) assisted SmartPLS 4.0. The research object focuses on the Kalitalang Merapi Ecotourism by examining the influence of short TikTok video content created by users (User-Generated Content) to the perception and intention of digital audience visits. The novelty of this study lies in the identification of a crucial role of trust mediation in the TikTok platform, where content authenticity is the main determinant of the transformation of visual stimulus into visitation intentions. In addition, this study reveals the ‘message conflict’ between content aesthetics and conservation narratives, making new theoretical contributions regarding the challenges of ecotourism marketing in geologically sensitive areas in the era of visual social media. Preliminary findings from the survey suggest that audiences, dominated by Generation Z and Millennials, consider Kalitalang UGC to be authentic and highly trustworthy content. This high level of trust acts as an important mediating variable, turning it into online exposure into measurable impact. The trust generated by authentic EWOM directly forms a very positive overall Destination Image (DI), which includes affective (natural beauty) and cognitive (security and access) dimensions. Strong DI consultations lead to a very high Visit Intention (VI), evidenced by a high intention to visit and recommend the destination. However, this study highlights a conflicting message where focusing on visual content risks ignoring the narrative of sustainable ecotourism conservation.
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