Strengthening or weakening? An eye-tracking study on destination image memorability under audio-visual stimuli

Visual attention elicits focused information about tourism environments and plays an important role in the memorability of destination pictures. However, studies on tourists’ visual attention and how it may affect the memorability of destination pictures are in a nascent stage. This study examines tourists’ visual attention to both natural and built destination pictures under multiple types of stimuli (e.g. textual, auditory, and audio-textual stimuli) and the relationships between visual attention and memorability through a triangulation approach combining eye-tracking experiment, self-reported survey, and post-experiment interviews. The results indicate that auditory stimuli positively influence visual attention toward natural elements and can enhance memorability through indirect paths of visual attention. However, visual attention to textual elements has negative impacts on the memorability of destination pictures. Our study extends the application of multiple resource theory and Baddeley's model of memory to tourism research and provides management practices for destination marketing through the visual attention perspective.