Projecting destinations via organic tourist videos: the role of appearance, production and content

Although organic tourist videos on social media have been established as prominent agents of destination image formation, the influence of social media posted vlogs on potential tourists’ destination image remains insufficiently explored. Meanwhile, it is crucial to comprehend the underlying mechanisms that shape this process, especially how potential tourist forms their conative image of destination. Video elicitation interviews using two unsponsored YouTube videos of Raja Ampat, Indonesia were conducted with domestic (Indonesian = 31) and international (British = 30) potential tourists. Findings indicated technical aspects of the videos influence potential tourists’ perceptions of the video authenticity and credibility. Consequently, this shapes their impression of the destination and their desire to seek further information. The study offers a holistic understanding of the role of technical elements of organic travel vlogs on audience engagement and image formation of prospective tourists from two different nationalities. It also contributes new insights into the implementation of destination branding and marketing practice via authentic, credible and responsible vlogs that help boost community benefits.

© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
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