Title: Testing the relationship between digital content marketing and tourism ethnocentrism in emerging tourism destinations: does tourism knowledge matter?

Authors: Emmanuel Chao; David Amani

Addresses: School of Business, Mzumbe University, Tanzania P.O. Box 6, Morogoro, Tanzania ' Department of Business Administration and Management, University of Dodoma, P.O. Box 259, Dodoma, Tanzania

Abstract: This study investigated the impact of digital content marketing on tourism ethnocentrism, mediated by tourism knowledge among local residents in Tanzania. Data was collected from local residents in Tanzania through a self-administered questionnaire. The study's conceptual model was developed and empirically tested using structural equation modelling with 352 local residents. The results indicate that tourism knowledge plays a mediating role in the relationship between digital content marketing and tourism ethnocentrism. This means that well-designed digital content marketing is an important source of tourism knowledge, which, in turn, empowers local residents with the authority and confidence to exert control over the tourism sector by providing support to the domestic tourism economy. The study recommends that destination marketing organisations invest in digital content marketing strategies as they enable key stakeholders, including local residents, to be empowered by developing tourism knowledge, which is crucial for demonstrating support for the domestic tourism economy.

Keywords: digital content marketing; tourism knowledge; tourism ethnocentrism.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLTM.2024.140626

International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, 2024 Vol.8 No.2, pp.84 - 108

Received: 02 Nov 2023
Accepted: 27 May 2024
Published online: 28 Aug 2024 *

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