Fantasy or reality? Unveiling the power of realistic narratives in tourism social media advertising

Ali Selcuk Can, Yuksel Ekinci and Setenay Dilek Fidler 2025. Forthcoming. Fantasy or reality? Unveiling the power of realistic narratives in tourism social media advertising. Tourism Management . 106 104998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024.104998

TitleFantasy or reality? Unveiling the power of realistic narratives in tourism social media advertising
TypeJournal article
AuthorsAli Selcuk Can, Yuksel Ekinci and Setenay Dilek Fidler
Abstract

Narrative storytelling, a cornerstone of narrative persuasion theory, plays a crucial role in nurturing robust consumer-brand relationships. Understanding persuasive narratives within the social media domain is critical for destination brands. Hence, this study investigates the impact of realistic narratives on attitudinal destination brand loyalty, mediated by self-congruence and brand attachment across two experiments. Study 1 provides evidence for the superiority of adventure-themed realistic fictional narratives over fantasy one in Facebook advertisements. Study 2 supports the findings of Study 1 with a romantic-themed narrative and a diverse destination in Instagram advertisements. Moreover, Study 2 reveals that consumer fantasy proneness diminishes the influence of realistic fictional narratives on self-congruence. These findings suggest a strategic shift toward realistic narratives over fantasy ones to stimulate self-congruence and cultivate destination brand attachment, ultimately fortifying the bonds between travellers and destination brands.

Article number104998
JournalTourism Management
Journal citation106
ISSN0261-5177
1879-3193
Year2025
PublisherElsevier
Publisher's version
License
CC BY-NC 4.0
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2024.104998
Publication dates
Published in printFeb 2025
Published online03 Jul 2024

Related outputs

Five tips for blended learning design
Espinoza Ramos, G., Dilek Fidler, S., Singh, M. and Ukperaj, D. Forthcoming. Five tips for blended learning design.

The Impact of Socio-Cultural and Professional Factors on International Graduate Capabilities
Dilek Fidler, S., Clarke, L. and Wang, Y. 2024. The Impact of Socio-Cultural and Professional Factors on International Graduate Capabilities. British Educational Research Journal.

Do Blue Flag promotions influence tourists’ willingness to pay a price premium for coastal destinations?
Can,A., Ekinci, Y. and Dilek Fidler, S. 2023. Do Blue Flag promotions influence tourists’ willingness to pay a price premium for coastal destinations? Tourism Management . 98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104767

The Impact of Political Factors on International Student Mobility
Dilek Fidler, S., Clarke, L. and Wang, Y. 2022. The Impact of Political Factors on International Student Mobility. British Educational Research Journal. 49 (2), pp. 352-369. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3846

Social Determinants of International Student Mobility
Dilek Fidler, S. 2018. Social Determinants of International Student Mobility. The Migration Conference 2018. Lisbon, Portugal 26 - 28 Jun 2018

International Student Mobility: Social Determinants of International Student Mobility: PhD students from Turkey in (2016), Turkish Migration 2016 Selected Papers. London: Transnational Press London. .
Dilek Fidler, S. 2018. International Student Mobility: Social Determinants of International Student Mobility: PhD students from Turkey in (2016), Turkish Migration 2016 Selected Papers. London: Transnational Press London. . in: Eroglu, D., Cohen, J.H. and Sirkeci, I. (ed.) Turkish Migration 2016 Selected Papers Transnational Press London.

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/wv289/fantasy-or-reality-unveiling-the-power-of-realistic-narratives-in-tourism-social-media-advertising


Share this

Usage statistics

131 total views
34 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.