Film-Induced Effects and Intention to Visit: The Intervening Role of Country Image of South Korea

Abstract

In the realm of film tourism, film-induced effects have been identified to be integral factors in the formation of intentions of a viewer to visit a destination. Grounded on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model, the present study aims to examine how Korean film-induced effects (visual, vocal, and celebrity) influence viewers’ intention to visit South Korea. Furthermore, it investigates the intervening role of country image on the relationship between film-induced effects and intention to visit South Korea. The respondents were Filipino viewers of Korean movies and dramas, and they were selected using the river sampling technique. Using variance-based (partial least squares) path modelling, the results revealed that film-induced effects significantly and positively influence viewers’ intention to visit South Korea, and visual effect largely contributes to the formation of these intentions. Country image was also found to significantly influence intention to visit, and act as a mediator on the link between film-induced visual effect and intention to visit South Korea. The present study addresses the gap in literature as it showed the indirect role of country image on the relationship between film-induced visual effect and intention to visit South Korea.