Exploration or Exploitation of a Neighborhood Destination: The Role of Social Media Content on the Perceived Value and Trust and Revisit Intention among World Cup Football Fans

Abstract

Over the last decade, social media (SM) has dramatically influenced the tourism sector, and information exchange via SM platforms may affect tourists’ intentions to revisit a tourist destination. In the present study, we investigated the impact of content shared on SM on tourists’ intentions to revisit Saudi Arabia as a neighboring destination to Qatar during the period of a mega-event (Football World Cup). We also assessed the potential mediation effects of the perceived values and trust in local tourism services on such a relationship. A structured survey was distributed to football fans who came to visit Saudi Arabia (n = 300), and a partial least squares structural equation model was constructed to validate this study’s model. Results showed that SM content did not significantly impact the revisit intentions directly. SM content was a significant antecedent predictor of the perceived trust, and the perceived trust predicted future intentions to revisit Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the perceived trust in tourism services was a significant mediator of tourism SM’s effects on tourists’ intentions. However, the mediation path of the perceived value was not statistically significant. Tourism marketers had to ensure that they appropriately convey engaging content that focuses on supporting the trust in a destination, particularly during the periods of mega-events.