Digital Tourism Communication: Effects of Influencer Credibility, Content Quality, and e-WoM on Emotions, FoMO, Self-Identification, and Visit Intentions of Gen Z Travelers

Titi Widianingsih^1*Algooth Putranto^2*

• ¹Paramadina University, Jakarta, Indonesia
• ²Universitas Dian Nusantara, West Jakarta, Indonesia

This study investigates the influence of digital tourism content on the travel intentions of Generation Z, with a specific focus on TikTok content related to Bali. Utilizing the Stimulus– Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework and a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, data were collected from 344 Gen Z respondents aged 21 to 27 years who had previously viewed Bali-related content on TikTok. The findings reveal two primary pathways: a direct influence of Influencer Credibility, TikTok Content Quality, and Electronic Word of Mouth on behavioral response (β = 0.417), and an indirect path through psychological constructs such as Emotion, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and Self-Identification, which also significantly affect response (β = 0.149). TikTok Content Quality emerged as the most dominant stimulus (β = 0.760), while Self-Identification played a key role within the psychological Organism construct (β = 0.785). The strongest outcome within the Response construct was Intention to Visit (β = 0.889), underscoring the effectiveness of digital content in shaping concrete travel behavior. Although the model demonstrates high reliability at the individual construct level, limitations in convergent and discriminant validity were observed at the higher-order construct level. This study contributes theoretically by advancing the S–O–R framework in algorithm-driven short-video environments and offers practical value for tourism boards and digital strategists in designing content strategies that enhance cultural engagement and strengthen destination visit intentions among young travelers.