Digital fashion weeks and tourism destination attractiveness: effects on traveler perception and intention

Purpose This study aims to investigate how tourist experiences of digital fashion weeks influence tourism-related perceptions and behavioral intentions. Drawing on the experience economy framework and the cognitive–affective–conative model, this study explores how the esthetic, entertainment, educational and escapist experiences of digital fashion weeks shape destination attractiveness and tourists’ emotional responses and behavioral intention. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted with 524 international participants who had previously engaged with digital fashion week events. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping-based mediation analysis were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Esthetic experiences significantly enhance entertainment, educational and escapist experiences. Entertainment and escapism positively affect both destination attractiveness and happiness, which subsequently predict behavioral intention, while education, although positively influenced by esthetics, does not significantly impact tourism-related outcomes. Mediation analysis confirms that entertainment and escapism mediate the indirect effects of esthetics on destination attractiveness and happiness. Originality/value This study extends the literature on tourism and the experience economy by conceptualizing digital fashion weeks as immersive, city-linked experiences that can shape tourist perceptions and behaviors. The authors integrate two theoretical frameworks to provide a novel explanation of how digitally mediated fashion content influences tourist psychology and behavior. The findings extend the experience economy and tourism literature into the domain of virtual fashion events and offer strategic implications for cities, tourism boards and fashion organizations.