The  Role of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) in Moderating the Influence of Destination Image on Tourists’ Visiting Decisions at the Bubohu Religious Village Tourism Destination

Indrawahyu S. Lapado; Endi Rahman; Zulfia K. Abdussamad

doi:10.63922/ijebir.v5i05.6384

Indrawahyu S. Lapado Universitas Negeri Gorontalo
Endi Rahman Universitas Negeri Gorontalo
Zulfia K. Abdussamad Universitas Negeri Gorontalo

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijebir.v5i05.6384

Keywords: Destination Image, Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM), Visitation Decision

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of destination image on tourists' visitation decisions regarding the Bubohu Religious Village tourist destination, as well as to analyze the role of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) in moderating this influence. The study employs a quantitative research design with a causal approach. Primary data were collected via questionnaires distributed to 100 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling - Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4 software. Empirical findings confirm that destination image makes a positive and significant direct contribution to visitation decisions (t-statistic = 5.528 > 1.96; p-value = 0.000 < 0.05). Conversely, the interaction of the e-WOM variable did not demonstrate a significant moderating effect (t-statistic = 1.948 < 1.96; p-value = 0.051 > 0.05). These results indicate that the destination's reputation and physical/religious image serve as primary considerations for tourists, outweighing the influence of online reviews or digital discussions.

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