THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON TOURIST INTEREST THROUGH E-WOM (ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH) AT THE DESTINATION OF ISTANO BASA PAGARUYUNG FLATLAND REGENCY, WEST SUMATRA PROVINCE.

• Main Author: Rizki, Muhammad
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/87058
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The development of digital technology has brought significant transformations across various sectors, including tourism. Social media, as one of the products of digital technology, plays a crucial role in disseminating information quickly and widely, thereby influencing tourists' interests and decisions in choosing destinations. Tanah Datar Regency, a region rich in cultural and historical destinations, has shown remarkable growth in tourist visits, achieving 115.84% of its targeted visitors. Digitalization not only changes how tourists seek information but also impacts how they evaluate and decide on travel destinations. In this context, e-WOM (electronic word-of-mouth) serves as an effective communication channel in shaping perceptions and increasing the appeal of tourism destinations. This study focuses on the role of social media in influencing tourists’ visiting intentions through the mediation of e-WOM. Using a quantitative approach with the Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method, the research analyzes the relationship between social media quality (entertainment, informativeness, irritation, credibility, personalization, incentives), e-WOM, and visiting intentions. The results indicate that social media quality significantly impacts tourists’ visiting intentions, with e-WOM serving as a mediator that strengthens this relationship. These findings offer strategic implications for the tourism industry, particularly in designing more effective digital promotions to enhance the appeal and number of visitors. This is highly relevant for cultural-based destinations such as Istano Basa Pagaruyung, which can leverage social media to expand reach and increase tourist interest. This study not only enriches academic literature but also provides practical contributions to the development of the digital-based tourism sector.