Promoting travelling intention within social media is significant for stakeholders to grasp a new tourism market and cultivate a new model for development of tourism industry. This study aims to understand path of destination image affecting travelling intention, and to investigate the mediation role of perceived value, furthermore, to uncover the role of moderator of situational involvement. This paper conducts a survey on tourists visiting Guilin, collecting 435 questionnaires, and uses the structural equation modeling method to explore how the image of the tourism destination affects tourists’ willingness to travel. The research results indicate that cognitive image, emotional image, and projected image all have a significant positive impact on perceived value, perceived value as a significant mediator to bridge the relationship among the destination image and tourists’ travel intention. Furthermore, situational involvement plays a negative moderating role in the mediating effect of emotional value. This study endeavor will serve to enrich the understanding of perceived value theory, destination image theory, and tourism consumer behavior theory. It will also provide theoretical foundations and policy recommendations for guiding tourism consumer behavior, analyzing destination image perception, and destination marketing.

Akgün, A. E., Senturk, H. A., Keskin, H., et al. (2020). The relationships among nostalgic emotion, destination images and tourist behaviors: An empirical study of Istanbul. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 16, 100355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2019.03.009

Beckman, E., Shu, F., & Pan, T. (2020). The application of enduring involvement theory in the development of a success model for a craft beer and food festival. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 11(4), 397–411. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijefm-01-2020-0002

Chathoth, P. K., Harrington, R. J., Chan, E. S. W., et al. (2020). Situational and personal factors influencing hospitality employee engagement in value co-creation. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, 102687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102687

Chaulagain, S., Jahromi, M. F., & Fu, X. (2021). Americans’ intention to visit Cuba as a medical tourism destination: A destination and country image perspective. Tourism Management Perspectives, 40, 100900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100900

Chaulagain, S., Wiitala, J., & Fu, X. (2019). The impact of country image and destination image on US tourists’ travel intention. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 12, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2019.01.005

Chen X., & Cheng Z. F. (2021). Research on the influence mechanism of citizenship behavior of red tourism tourists from the perspective of experience value. Tourism Science, 35(06), 50–66.

Di-Clemente, E., Moreno-Lobato, A., Sánchez-Vargas, E., et al. (2022). Destination Promotion through Images: Exploring Tourists’ Emotions and Their Impact on Behavioral Intentions. Sustainability, 14(15), 9572. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159572

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104

Ghorbanzadeh, D., Shabbir, M. S., Mahmood, A., et al. (2021). Investigating the role of experience quality in predicting destination image, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions: a case of war tourism. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(21), 3090–3106. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1863924

Ha, Y., & Lennon, S. J. (2010). Online visual merchandising (VMD) cues and consumer pleasure and arousal: Purchasing versus browsing situation. Psychology & Marketing, 27(2), 141–165. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20324

Haobin Ye, B., Fong, L. H. N., & Luo, J. M. (2021). Parasocial interaction on tourism companies’ social media sites: antecedents and consequences. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(8), 1093–1108. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1764915

Hayes, A. F. (2009). Beyond Baron and Kenny: Statistical Mediation Analysis in the New Millennium. Communication Monographs, 76(4), 408–420. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750903310360

Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford publications.

Hsia, T. L., Wu, J. H., Xu, X., et al. (2020). Omnichannel retailing: The role of situational involvement in facilitating consumer experiences. Information & Management, 57(8), 103390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2020.103390

Huang C. L., Huang Y. L., Yu H. T., et al. (2022). Research on the Perceived Image of Guilin Tourists City Based on LDA and Grounded Theory. Areal Research and Development, 41(5), 91–97.

Huang, S., & Choi, H. S. C. (2019). Developing and validating a multidimensional tourist engagement scale (TES). The Service Industries Journal, 39(7–8), 469–497. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2019.1576641

Japutra, A., & Loureiro, S. M. C. (2020). Destination’s efforts and commitment towards recycling. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(21), 2637–2648. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2020.1734549

Jiang J. B., & Sun S. X. (2021). A study on the influence of nostalgic emotions on environmental responsibility behavior of tourists in historical and cultural districts—the mediating role of perceived value and place attachment. Human Geography, 36(05), 83–91.

Kashyap, R., & Bojanic, D. C. (2000). A Structural Analysis of Value, Quality, and Price Perceptions of Business and Leisure Travelers. Journal of Travel Research, 39(1), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728750003900106

Kim, S., Stylidis, D., & Oh, M. (2019). Is perception of destination image stable or does it fluctuate? A measurement of three points in time. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(4), 447–461. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2273

Kwon, J. H., Seo, Y., & Ko, D. (2016). Effective Luxury-Brand Advertising: The ES-IF Matching (Entity-Symbolic Versus Incremental-Functional) Model. Journal of Advertising, 45(4), 459–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2016.1226995

Lai, I. K. W., Liu, Y., & Lu, D. (2021). The effects of tourists’ destination culinary experience on electronic word-of-mouth generation intention: the experience economy theory. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 26(3), 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1851273

Lee, M., Hong, J. H., Chung, S., et al. (2021). Exploring the Roles of DMO’s Social Media Efforts and Information Richness on Customer Engagement: Empirical Analysis on Facebook Event Pages. Journal of Travel Research, 60(3), 670–686. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520934874

Leso, B. H., Cortimiglia, M. N., & Ten Caten, C. S. (2021). The Influence of Situational Involvement on Employees’ Intrinsic Involvement During IS Development. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 64(3), 317–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-021-00719-7

Li, C. X., Feng, H. Y., Lv, X. Y., et al. (2020). Poor families and rich roads? Research on consumer price perception in non-habitual environment. Tourism Journal, 35 (11), 42–53.

Li, H., Meng, F., & Zhang, X. (2022). Are You Happy for Me? How Sharing Positive Tourism Experiences through Social Media Affects Posttrip Evaluations. Journal of Travel Research, 61(3), 477–492. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287521995253

Lian, J. W. (2020). Understanding cloud-based BYOD information security protection behaviour in smart business: in perspective of perceived value. Enterprise Information Systems, 15(9), 1216–1237. https://doi.org/10.1080/17517575.2020.1791966

Lian, T., & Yu, C. (2019). Impacts of online images of a tourist destination on tourist travel decision. Tourism Geographies, 21(4), 635–664. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2019.1571094

Lin, Y. Q., & Shen, Y. (2022). Immersive experiences: the fusion of creativity, technology and tourism. Journal of Tourism, 37(10), 6–8.

Liu, J., Zhang, J., Hashim, N. B., et al. (2023). Examining Factors of Health Information Communicant Activeness of Chinese Residents in Outdoor Activities during Public Health Emergencies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 838. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010838

Llodra-Riera, I., Martínez-Ruiz, M. P., Jiménez-Zarco, A. I., et al. (2015). A multidimensional analysis of the information sources construct and its relevance for destination image formation. Tourism Management, 48, 319–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.11.012

Luo, B., Li, L., & Sun, Y. (2022). Understanding the Influence of Consumers’ Perceived Value on Energy-Saving Products Purchase Intention. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.640376

Marinao-Artigas, E., & Barajas-Portas, K. (2021). A Cross-Destination Analysis of Country Image: A Key Factor of Tourism Marketing. Sustainability, 13(17), 9529. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179529

Marine-Roig, E., & Ferrer-Rosell, B. (2018). Measuring the gap between projected and perceived destination images of Catalonia using compositional analysis. Tourism Management, 68, 236–249.

Matoati, R., Syahlani, S. P., & Mada, U. G. (2017). The Role of Involvement as a Moderating Variable in a Country of Origin Study. Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business, 19(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.22146/gamaijb.22783

Ng, P. M. L., Cheung, C. T. Y., Lit, K. K., et al. (2023). Green consumption and sustainable development: The effects of perceived values and motivation types on green purchase intention. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(2), 1024–1039. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3535

Picazo, P., Moreno-Gil, S., & Gursoy, D. (2019). Analysis of the projected image of tourism accommodations: a methodological proposal. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(8), 3325–3351. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-05-2017-0276

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., et al. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879

Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Iranmanesh, M., Seyfi, S., et al. (2022). Effects of perceived value on satisfaction and revisit intention: Domestic vs. international tourists. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 29(2), 222–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667221086326

San Martín, H., & Rodríguez del Bosque, I. A. (2008). Exploring the cognitive-affective nature of destination image and the role of psychological factors in its formation. Tourism Management, 29(2), 263–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2007.03.012

Seo, Y. J., & Um, K. H. (2022). The role of service quality in fostering different types of perceived value for student blended learning satisfaction. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 35(3), 521–549. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-022-09336-z

Sharma, P., & Nayak, J. K. (2019a). Dark tourism: tourist value and loyalty intentions. Tourism Review, 74(4), 915–929. https://doi.org/10.1108/tr-11-2018-0156

Sharma, P., & Nayak, J. K. (2019b). Do tourists’ emotional experiences influence images and intentions in yoga tourism? Tourism Review, 74(3), 646–665. https://doi.org/10.1108/tr-05-2018-0060

Smith, W. W., Li, X. R, Pan, B., et al. (2015). Tracking destination image across the trip experience with smartphone technology. Tourism Management, 48, 113–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.04.010

Sun, J. H., He, M., & Hu, J. (2021). The influence of knowledge anxiety on platform users’ willingness to pay for knowledge from the perspective of perceived value. Modern Intel, 41(06), 129–138.

Wang, G. F., Zhang, S. L., & Wu, Y. J. (2016). Research on factors influencing consumption intention of investors in Internet crowdfunding publishing—an empirical analysis based on consumption value theory. Technology and Publishing, 35(05), 32–36.

Wang, G. Q., Wang, X., Wang, J. W., et al. (2022). The Impact Mechanism of Skiing Tourism Intention of Urban Residents in the Context of the Winter Olympics—An Empirical Study Based on Beijing. Resources and Environment in Arid Areas, 36(05), 178–185.

Wang, Y., & Huang, L. Y. (2019). Research on the influence of mobile short video perceived value on consumers’ purchase intention-mediating effect based on user engagement and attitude. Economy and Management, 33(05), 68.

Weijters, B., & Baumgartner, H. (2021). Dealing with Common Method Variance in International Marketing Research. Journal of International Marketing, 29(3), 7–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069031x21995871

Whang, H., Yong, S., & Ko, E. (2016). Pop culture, destination images, and visit intentions: Theory and research on travel motivations of Chinese and Russian tourists. Journal of Business Research, 69(2), 631–641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.06.020

Xu, H., Li, C. Y., & Li, H. Y. (2020). The influence of authenticity on the image of ancient village tourism sites: the role of nostalgia and contextual involvement. Journal of Hainan Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 33(02), 206–215.

Yang, F., Tang, J., Men, J., et al. (2021). Consumer perceived value and impulse buying behavior on mobile commerce: The moderating effect of social influence. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 102683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102683

Yu, P., & Zhang, H. (2020). Does Travel Really Enhance Destination-Country Image? Understanding Tourists’ Changes in Perception toward a Destination Country. Sustainability, 12(10), 4294. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104294

Yuen, K. F., Chua, J. Y., Li, X., et al. (2023). The determinants of users’ intention to adopt telehealth: Health belief, perceived value and self-determination perspectives. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103346

Zaichkowsky, J. L. (1985). Measuring the Involvement Construct. Journal of Consumer Research, 12(3), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.1086/208520

Zhang, H., Wu, Y., & Buhalis, D. (2018). A model of perceived image, memorable tourism experiences and revisit intention. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 8, 326–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2017.06.004

Zhang, Z., & Guo, M. (2022). Change of tourism organizations: Implications from a review of cultural tourism research. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1000117

Zhu, C., Fong, L. H. N., Shang, Z., et al. (2022). Rethinking the Impact of Theme Park Image on Perceived Value and Behavioral Intention: The Case of Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China. Sustainability, 14(4), 2349. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042349

Zhu, D., Wang, J., & Wang, M. (2022). Sustainable Tourism Destination Image Projection: The Inter-Influences between DMOs and Tourists. Sustainability, 14(5), 3073. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14053073