How ecotourism website design drives booking intentions: evidence from eye-tracking

Purpose Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and dual-process theory (DPT), this study investigates how design elements of ecotourism websites influence visual attention and booking intentions, offering evidence-based guidelines for small- and medium-sized enterprises. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-methods design combined eye-tracking (n = 62), an online survey (n = 196) and follow-up interviews (n = 18). Participants interacted with a purpose-built beta website featuring six ecotourism categories before completing attitudinal measures. Findings Textual information attracted 62% of total fixation time, yet food-related images drew 2.3 × longer initial fixations than generic landscape photos. Congruent central (detailed sustainability text) and peripheral (official ecolabels) cues yielded the strongest booking intentions, especially when site branding included destination names. Ambiguous labels such as National Parks reduced engagement by 28%. Practical implications SMEs should adopt a layered content strategy that pairs concise, trust-building text with high-impact visuals, integrate destination branding and replace technical jargon with benefit-oriented language. Automated booking widgets and transparent pricing further increase click-through rates. Originality/value This study triangulates eye-tracking with the ELM and DPT to explain how ecotourism website design influences user attention and booking intentions.