Effects of Parasocial Interaction of Celebrities on Tourist Destination Trust and Visit Intention

This study was conducted to confirm the effect of celebrities' parasocial interactions on tourist destination trust and visit intention. The study focused on the Yesan market and celebrity Jongwon Baek in Chungcheongnam-do. A total of 175 samples were collected through an online survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling in AMOS. As a result of the analysis, parasocial interaction was found to have a positive effect on the trust of tourist destinations and visit intention, and Hypotheses 1 and 3 were supported. Tourism destination trust was found to have a positive effect on visit intention, and hypothesis 2 was supported. This study reflects the recent trend of broadening the concept of celebrity and holds academic significance by expanding the scope of research in this context. In addition, this study has practical significance as foundational data that can be referenced in tourist destination marketing with celebrities.