The Esthetic Edge: Exploring the Role of Photo Shapes in Visual Marketing and Tourism Promotion

Visual marketing plays a critical role in shaping tourists’ perceptions and behaviors, with the design of promotional materials significantly influencing destination promotion. We investigate how the shape of photos ( rectangular vs. rounded ) impacts tourists’ propensity for destination promotion, using ocean tourism images as a contextual backdrop. Through three sub-studies, we systematically examine the psychological and behavioral effects of photo shapes, focusing on their influence on tourists’ flow experience and immersion. The findings reveal that rounded photo shapes, compared to rectangular ones, enhance flow experiences and immersion, thereby increasing tourists’ likelihood of promoting the destination. Furthermore, we explore how immersion moderates the relationship between photo shapes and flow experiences, deepening our understanding of how visual esthetics influence tourist behavior. Our research contributes to the field of visual marketing by offering insights into optimizing visual content design, with practical implications for promoting tourist destinations effectively. While ocean tourism serves as the illustrative context, the findings have broader applicability for destination marketing across various industries.