An Examination of the Effect of Digital Business Adoption on Tourists' Purchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Digital Trust in the Tourism Sector of Mazandaran Province

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Yaser Shokri 1
Farzad Rezazadeh 2
1 Master's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing orientation, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
2 Master's Degree in Business Administration, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran.
10.22034/jmek.2024.461077.1138
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of digital business adoption on tourists' purchase intention, emphasizing the mediating role of digital trust in the tourism industry of Mazandaran province. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection. The statistical population includes all tourists in Mazandaran province during Nowruz 1402 (2023), numbering approximately 10 million. Using Cochran's formula, a sample of 385 people was determined and selected via simple random sampling. A standard questionnaire designed by Perelygina et al. (2022) was used to measure the variables. The content validity was confirmed by the supervisor and university professors. Reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha, yielding a value of 0.884, indicating acceptable reliability. After data collection, hypotheses were analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS4 software through structural equation modeling. The results indicate that digital business adoption has a positive and significant impact on digital trust and tourists' purchase intention. Furthermore, digital trust positively and significantly impacts tourists' purchase intention in Mazandaran province, playing a mediating role between digital business adoption and purchase intention. Based on these findings, it is suggested that tourism industry activists in Mazandaran province utilize digital tools and create secure platforms to attract tourists' trust and enhance their purchase intention.
Keywords
Digital Business Adoption
Tourists' Purchase Intention
Digital Trust
Tourism Industry
Structural Equation Modeling
Subjects
Alizadeh, M., & Gol-Khandan, A. (2014). Assessing the impact of the Internet on trade in services. Quarterly Journal of Economic Development Policy, 2(4), 157–181. [In Persian]
Ancillai, C., Sabatini, A., Gatti, M., & Perna, A. (2023). Digital technology and business model innovation: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 188, 122307.
Campagnolo, D., Gianecchini, M., & Mosca, L. (2023). Configurations of business model themes and strategies in small firms: A qualitative comparative analysis. Journal of Management & Governance. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10997-023-09680-x
Chabowski, B. R., & Samiee, S. (2020). The Internet and the international management literature: Its development and intellectual foundation. Journal of International Management, 26(1), 100741.
Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. In G. A. Marcoulides (Ed.), Modern methods for business research (pp. 295–336). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Dehyadgari, S., Nourbakhsh, F., & Khatabi, A. (2022). Factors affecting tourists' intention to visit tourist attractions in Kerman Province with an emphasis on electronic advertising. Tourism and Development, 11(3), 119–132. [In Persian]
Hanseth, O., & Modol, J. R. (2021). The dynamics of architecture-governance configurations: An assemblage theory approach. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 22(1), 5.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55.
Karoubi, M. (2019). The effect of Yazd tourism brand on domestic tourists' satisfaction and loyalty. Tourism and Development Quarterly, 8(4), 23–27. [In Persian]
Kim, J., Kang, S., & Lee, K. H. (2019). Evolution of digital marketing communication: Bibliometric analysis and network visualization from key articles. Journal of Business Research.
Kline, R. B. (2010). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford Press.
Labanauskaitė, D., Fiore, M., & Stašys, R. (2020). Use of e-marketing tools as communication management in the tourism industry. Tourism Management Perspectives, 34, 100652.
Mancuso, I., Petruzzelli, A. M., & Panniello, U. (2023). Digital business model innovation in metaverse: How to approach virtual economy opportunities. Information Processing & Management, 60(5), 103342.
Pelsmacker, P. D., Tilburg, S. V., & Holthof, C. (2018). Digital marketing strategies, online reviews and hotel performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 72, 47–55.
Perelygina, M., Kucukusta, D., & Law, R. (2022). Digital business model configurations in the travel industry. Tourism Management, 88, 104408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104408
Ramazani, M., Rajabzadeh Ghatri, A., Azar, A., & Khadivar, A. (2019). Internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises: Comprehensive dimensions and strategies. Scientific Research Journal of International Business Management, 2(1), 177–197. [In Persian]
Saeedi, H., & Hosseinzadeh-Naser, S. (2022). Developing a model for the adoption and use of digital marketing by managers to enhance brand equity for small businesses. [Journal name not provided]. [In Persian]
Samiee, S. (2020). International marketing and the Internet: A research overview and the path forward. International Marketing Review, 37(3), 425–436.
Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 18(7), 509–533.
Tahmasbpour, Z., Farhangi, A. A., Naami, A., & Asayesh, F. (2021). Investigating how digital marketing affects the development of the tourism industry: A case study of hotels on Kish Island. Shabak, 7(63), 117–128. [In Persian]
Tahmasbpour, Z., Farhangi, A. A., Naami, A., & Asayesh, F. (2022). Investigating the components of digital marketing from the perspective of tourism industry development: A case study of hotels on Kish Island. Strategic Management Research, 28(86), 131–156. [In Persian]
Trischler, M. F. G., & Li-Ying, J. (2023). Digital business model innovation: Toward construct clarity and future research directions. Review of Managerial Science, 17, 3–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-021-00508-2
WTTC. (2021). World tourism travel economic impact. World Travel & Tourism Council.
Yua, M., Cheng, M., Yang, L., & Yu, Z. (2022). Hotel guest satisfaction during COVID-19 outbreak: The moderating role of crisis response strategy. Tourism Management, 93, 104618.
Zangian, S., Maleki-Minbash Razgah, M., Feiz, D., & Zarei, A. (2022). Identifying the dimensions of digital business strategy for entering international markets. Scientific Research Journal of International Business Management, 5(1), 45–78. [In Persian]

  • Receive Date 06 December 2023
  • Revise Date 27 January 2024
  • Accept Date 03 March 2024

Article View 1,426