Building Tourist Loyalty Through Social Media Engagement and Service Quality: The Role of Nature-based Destination Image

Makian, Sarasadat; Lesani Behzadkolaei, Ehsan; Khazaei Poul, Morteza; Tavousi, Maryam

doi:10.22059/ijms.2026.421806.678848

Building Tourist Loyalty Through Social Media Engagement and Service Quality: The Role of Nature-based Destination Image

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Sarasadat Makian ¹

Ehsan Lesani Behzadkolaei ²

Morteza Khazaei Poul ³

Maryam Tavousi ⁴

¹ Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

² Maziar Institute of Higher Education, Mazandaran, Iran

³ Faculty of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

⁴ Department of Museum and Tourism, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

10.22059/ijms.2026.421806.678848

Abstract

Nature-based tourism centers on experiences in natural environments, yet tourists’ perceptions of these destinations are also shaped by social media interactions and the quality of services they encounter during their visits. Understanding how these factors contribute to destination image and tourist loyalty is therefore important for managing nature-based destinations. However, limited research has examined their joint effects in this context. This study addresses this gap through a structured questionnaire survey of 300 domestic tourists visiting a forest park in Iran. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that social media and service quality positively and significantly influence the image of nature-based destinations, with service quality having a stronger effect. In turn, nature-based destination image positively and significantly influences tourist loyalty, highlighting its importance in fostering loyalty toward nature-based destinations. These findings extend the nature-based tourism literature by clarifying how digital interactions and service experiences contribute to destination image and loyalty in a forest park setting.

Keywords

Social media

Service quality

Nature-based destinations

Destination image

Tourist loyalty

Subjects