The Mediating Effect of Destination Image on Intention to Use a Tourism App: The “Visit Saudi” App

This study investigates the influence of tourists’ perceptions of destination image on their intention to use a tourism app. It examines the roles played by tourists’ perceptions of app/website usability, information quality and risk in shaping tourism destination image and subsequently on their app use intention. Using an online questionnaire, the study surveyed 194 international tourists in Saudi Arabia. Results were analysed using PLS-SEM. All the proposed hypotheses were supported and significant. Perceived risk had the strongest influence, followed by the influence of tourists’ perceptions of information quality and then app usability. The perceived risk was found to have a strong effect on the application use intention. Additionally, destination image mediates the influence on the use intention of the antecedents to the destination image. The study contributes to the tourism website/application literature; its implications provide practical insights and recommendations for destination marketers and managers to improve their online and social media presence in terms of enhancing e-platform usability, quality of provided information and most importantly creating a destination strategy to manage tourists’ risk perceptions.