Digital accreditation : modeling the role of social networks in legitimizing tourism intents through the mediation of destination imaging.

Kashef, Seyed Mohamad; Behnam, Mohsen; Sharifi, Seyedeh Safora; Shahabi Azar, Ahad

doi:10.22054/tms.2026.91898.3184

Digital accreditation : modeling the role of social networks in legitimizing tourism intents through the mediation of destination imaging.

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Seyed mohamad kashef ¹

mohsen behnam ²

seyedeh safora sharifi ³

Ahad shahabi Azar ⁴

¹ Professor/ Sports Management Group College of Sport Sciences/Urumia University/Urumia City/Iran

² Associate Professor/ Sports Management Group College of Sport Sciences/Urumia University/Urumia City/Iran

³ PhD student in Sports Management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Urmia University

⁴ PhD Student in Sports Management Faculty of Sports Sciences/Urmia University, Urmia City

https://doi.org/10.22054/tms.2026.91898.3184

Abstract

Technological developments and the expansion of social networks in recent years have transformed traditional patterns of trust and legitimacy in the tourism industry, paving the way for the emergence of the concept of digital credibility (validation) of tourism destinations. In this framework, the legitimacy of destinations is no longer shaped solely through official institutions or organizational advertising, but is reproduced within the context of digital interactions and user perceptions. The aim of this study is to explain the role of social networks in the digital credibility of tourism destinations, emphasizing the mediating role of destination mental image. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of methodology, using a quantitative approach and structural equation modeling. The statistical population consists of Iranian sports tourists who used social networks to gather information for travel to the northwest region of Iran in 2025 (1404 Persian calendar).

Keywords

Digital legitimacy-building

Social media

Destination image

Destination legitimacy

Sports tourism

Subjects