Cultivating destination loyalty among film tourists: the role of film involvement and film-related social media communication

Purpose Rooted in the cognition–affect–conation (C–A–C) model, this study develops a model to explore how film involvement (FI) and film-related social media communication (FSMC) impact film tourist behavior (e.g. destination brand loyalty) via cognition (e.g. lifestyle-congruence, destination brand image) and affect (e.g. destination brand immersion and love). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 404 Vietnamese film viewers via an online survey and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results show that FI significantly influences both cognitive evaluations (lifestyle-congruence, destination brand image) and emotional responses (destination brand immersion, brand love). User-generated content (UGC) has a positive effect on cognition and affect, while filmmaker-generated content (FGC) has no significant impact. Furthermore, the influence of cognition on destination brand loyalty is fully mediated by emotional constructs. Practical implications This study offers valuable guidance for DMOs, particularly in emerging markets, where film is increasingly influencing tourist behavior. It conceptualizes a circular journey where film engagement (e.g. FI, FSMC) leads to travel, emotional bonding, and co-creation. To sustain this cycle, DMOs should enhance both on-site experiences and the pre-travel psychological journey through three strategic levers: leveraging social norms to shape pre-visit expectations, enhancing on-site enjoyment to deepen emotional bonding and designing choice architecture to reinforce post-visit loyalty. Originality/value This study advances film-induced tourism (FIT) research by integrating FI and FSMC as dual drivers shaping tourists' cognitive, affective, and conative responses. It reconceptualizes films as experiential ecosystems, highlighting the crucial role of user-generated content and pre-travel emotional immersion in fostering destination loyalty and offering context-sensitive insights for FIT theory in emerging Asian markets.