Electronic Word of Mouth Effects on Middle East Destination Overall Image and Behavioral Intention: An Empirical Study in Jordan

Electronic Word of Mouth Effects on Middle East Destination Overall Image and Behavioral Intention: An Empirical Study in Jordan

Ashraf Mohammad Alfandi, Valeri Marco
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-3889-3.ch009
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Abstract

This study investigated the relationship among e-WOM, overall destination image, and European tourist behavioral intention to revisit and recommend Jordan as a tourism destination. The study examined the mediating effect of destination overall image on the relationship between e-WOM and tourist behavioral intention. A total of 339 questionnaires were collected from European tourists who visited Jordan in 2018 through a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. The result of SEM identified that e-WOM has a positive influence on the overall destination image and on the tourist behavioral intention. The overall image positively influenced the tourist behavioral intention. Overall destination image partially mediates between e-WOM and behavioral intention, and thereby, the positive impact of e-WOM on behavioral intention could be aggravated through the mediating effect of destination overall image. The findings have implications on the tourism industry, especially for key players in the Jordanian tourism board and travel companies.
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2. Tourism In Jordan

In Jordan, the tourism industry is considered as a paramount economic sector that contributed a considerable 7,632.8 million USD to its GDP in 2017 and was ranked as number 69 out of 185 countries worldwide by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) as of 2017. According to the same report, the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (JMTA) is hoping for the total contribution of travel and tourism to rise by 23.5% of GDP in 2028 to reach 13,563.6 USD Million WTTC, 2018). To achieve this, the tourists must perceive Jordan as a safe, secure, attractive and worthy detestation since, in deciding to travel to a certain place; tourists must consider a multidimensional culture that involves a wide range of different factors (Farajat et al., 2017).

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