Keywords
Narrative involvement
Destination distinctiveness
Wishful identification
Travel intention
Published : 2026-08-14
Abstract
Short travel videos increasingly shape destination impressions, but how narrative content develops into travel intention remains under-explored. Drawing on short video platform research and the cognitive-affective-behavioral framework, this study examines the mediating role of perceived destination distinctiveness and the moderating role of wishful identification. Based on 135 valid questionnaires, the results show that narrative involvement enhances perceived destination distinctiveness, which subsequently increases travel intention. Wishful identification negatively moderates the destination distinctiveness-travel intention relationship. The conditional indirect effect is significant at low and average levels of wishful identification but non-significant at a high level. These findings highlight destination distinctiveness as a key mechanism linking narrative engagement to travel intention.
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