A dual-content model of UGC and DGC effects on destination image and eWOM intention in lesser-explored tourism destinations
(A2026-133923)

AUTHORS

Carmen Hervás Cortina, Department of Commercialization and Market Research, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain; Mariia Bordian, Universitat de València, Research Institute on Social Welfare Policy (POLIBIENESTAR), Department of Marketing; Eugenia RUIZ, University of Valencia; Irene Gil-Saura, Universidad de Valencia

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how user-generated content (UGC) and tourists’ user experience (UX) with destination-generated content (DGC) shape satisfaction, destination image, and eWOM intention in lesser-explored tourism destinations. A dual-content model grounded in the SOR perspective is tested using PLS-SEM with data from 300 tourists who interact with destinations’ social media. Results show that UGC exerts limited influence on satisfaction, image, and eWOM, diverging from prior literature but consistent with the scarcity of UGC in small destinations. In contrast, UX with DGC and satisfaction with DGC strongly enhance destination image and eWOM intention. The study underscores the need to integrate pre-visit digital experiences into destination marketing models and offers insights into how small destinations operate in online environments, guiding DMOs in prioritising high-quality official content to compensate for limited UGC. This research advances the field by jointly examining UGC and DGC and introducing UX as a pre-visit antecedent.