Digital Pathways to Rural Fields: How Social Media Storytelling Shapes Agri-Tourism Destination Image and Visit Intentions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/pjhas.2026.12.1.5Keywords:
Destination image, agri-tourism, rural, user-generated content, social mediaAbstract
Background: Agri-tourism has emerged as an important alternative tourism segment, offering authentic rural experiences while supporting local livelihoods. With the growing reliance on digital platforms for travel planning, social media storytelling and user-generated content increasingly shape tourists’ perceptions of rural destinations. However, empirical evidence on how digital narratives influence agri-tourism visit intention remains limited. Objectives: This study examines the influence of digital storytelling elements on agri-tourism visit intention through cognitive–affective destination image. The study aims to investigate the effects of narrative vividness, perceived rural authenticity and user-generated content credibility on cognitive–affective destination image and to assess its impact on agri-tourism visit intention. Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data was collected from 256 urban respondents from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra states who are exposed to agri-tourism related digital content using a structured questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to evaluate the measurement and structural models. Results: Results indicate that perceived rural authenticity and user-generated content credibility exert moderate positive effects on cognitive–affective destination image, while narrative vividness shows a smaller but significant influence. Cognitive–affective destination image strongly predicts agri-tourism visit intention (β = 0.837), explaining 70% of its variance. The model demonstrates substantial predictive power, with digital storytelling variables jointly explaining 72.9% of destination image. Conclusion: The findings highlight cognitive–affective destination image as a key mechanism linking digital storytelling to agri-tourism visit intention. Authentic rural representation and credible visitor-generated content emerge as more influential than aesthetic storytelling alone. The study offers practical insights for agri-tourism operators and policymakers to design authentic, trust-enhancing digital communication strategies that strengthen rural destination appeal and stimulate visitation.References
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