Social media user-generated content, safety awareness and destination image: A PLS-SEM analysis of tourist behavioural intention in disaster-prone destinations

This study evaluates the impact of user-generated content on social media on tourists behavioral intentions to visit disaster-prone destinations, with particular emphasis on social media influence, safety awareness, and destination image, while examining the mediating effects of risk perception and trust in content. The study adopts a quantitative and causal research design, and data were collected from 202 respondents through an online questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. Convenience-based sampling was employed to generate the responses. The collected data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) through SmartPLS 3. The findings indicate that social media influence significantly impacts trust in content. Safety awareness also significantly influences trust in content; however, it does not have a significant impact on risk perception. Furthermore, destination image significantly influences both risk perception and trust in content. The results further demonstrate that both risk perception and trust in content significantly influence tourists behavioral intentions to visit disaster-prone destinations. These findings highlight the important role of social media content, destination image, safety awareness, risk perception, and trust in shaping tourists’ decision-making in contexts characterized by disaster-related risks. The study offers practical implications for tourism policymakers, destination marketers, and local stakeholders by emphasizing the development of effective communication strategies during crises and the promotion of resilient and sustainable tourism practices. In particular, ensuring the credibility and trustworthiness of social media content and maintaining a positive destination image can contribute to tourists’ willingness to visit disaster-prone destinations. The study contributes to the existing literature by developing an integrated conceptual model that combines social media influence, safety awareness, destination image, risk perception, and trust in content to explain tourists behavioral intentions. Using Kashmir as the case context, the study provides comprehensive insights into tourism decision-making in disaster-prone destinations and extends understanding of how digital information influences tourist behavior under conditions of perceived risk.