Can gamification marketing enhance the digital destination image of cultural heritage sites?

Digital technology represents a powerful tool for the market competitiveness of cultural heritage sites. However, destination content marketing research has received limited attention from a gamification digital technology perspective. Concerning the tourism advertising effects (AIEDA) model and the four-phase model of interest development, this study investigated the impact of the content marketing form (gamification vs. non-gamification) on destination digital images in two experiments. Study 1 examined and confirmed that gamification (vs. non-gamification) content marketing fosters a better digital image. Moreover, the awakening of interest and perceived attractiveness mediated that relationship. Study 2 further revealed the moderating role of the storyteller image's cultural symbolism. When the storyteller's cultural symbolism is low, the gamification form is more conducive to establishing an excellent digital destination image; however, storytellers with high cultural symbolism do not have significant effects. Our research provides theoretical and practical implications for how tourism practitioners can harness gamification in content marketing.