Attracted by a Song: Image-building and tourist-attracting effects of destination songs

ABSTRACT Taking a popular folk song in China, Chengdu, as an example, this paper uses sensory marketing theory to analyze the impact of destination songs on listeners’ perception of destination image and discusses how auditory stimulation promotes destination brand building and attracts potential tourists. Results showed that the experience of the destination song significantly affects the listeners’ perception of destination image, which leads to a greater willingness to visit by enhancing the place attachment between the listeners and the destination. The experience of the destination song can also enhance the listeners’ willingness to visit by directly establishing place attachment to the destination through the non-mental processing path. Compared with the path of image building, the non-mental processing path exerts a stronger influence on the willingness to visit. The results of this study extend the findings in the destination sensory marketing and tourist behavior literature. Additionally, we provide actionable guidelines for destination marketing organizations on how to attract tourists with destination songs.