Can Internet Celebrities’ Short Videos Shape the Image of Rural Tourism Destinations? Empirical Insights from China

Grounded on the foundation of the SOR model and meaning transfer theory, this research intends to analyze how internet celebrities’ short videos affect destination image and brand love in rural tourism. Survey data collection included responses from 401 individuals from China who had watched short videos of internet celebrity (i.e., Ding Zhen) but had not visited the endorsed destination. This research employed partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4 to evaluate the hypotheses. It was found that internet celebrity endorsement positively impacts destination image, which in turn promotes destination brand love. Moreover, social presence and spatial presence in short videos were found to mediate the influence of celebrity endorsement on destination image, with social presence having a greater impact. This study initially investigates the mechanisms by which internet celebrities’ short videos influence the destination image and brand love in rural tourism, taking into account the mediation effects of social presence and spatial presence.