The Influence of Social Media Usage and Perceived Government Market Orientation on Travel Intention to an Internet Celebrity City: Exploring the Mediating Effects of Place Attachment and Perceived Value

Abstract

As the usage of social media continues to grow and local governments expand their promotional efforts, more internet celebrity cities (ICCs) are emerging as popular tourist destinations. To investigate the internal mechanisms that affect tourists’ travel intentions to such destinations, place attachment and perceived value were proposed as two factors reflecting their deeper emotional connections and practical assessments to visit ICCs. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between social media usage, perceived government market orientation (PGMO), place attachment, perceived value, and travel intention in the context of Chongqing, a popular ICC in China. To evaluate the research hypotheses, 750 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results showed that social media usage had a positive impact on tourists’ travel intention to Chongqing, while PGMO did not significantly influence travel intention. However, both place attachment and perceived value had mediating effects in the relationship between social media usage, PGMO, and travel intention. This paper concludes with theoretical implications, suggestions for further research, and recommendations for practice.