Experience Quality and Destination Image: The Role of Digital Capabilities (The Cultural Landscape of Meymand as the Case)

Hassan Pour, Mahmoud; Soltani Nejad, Vahid

doi:10.22054/tms.2026.93650.3216

Experience Quality and Destination Image: The Role of Digital Capabilities (The Cultural Landscape of Meymand as the Case)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mahmoud Hassan Pour

vahid soltani nejad

Tourism Department, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/tms.2026.93650.3216

Abstract

This study aimed to explain the effect of tourists’ digital capabilities, including access to information and communication technology and digital literacy, on destination image through the mediating role of tourism experience quality. The study is applied in purpose and descriptive-correlational and survey-based in method. The statistical population comprised tourists visiting the cultural landscape of Meymand, from whom 463 valid questionnaires were collected using convenience sampling. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling using the partial least squares approach in SmartPLS. The findings showed that access to technology and digital literacy have positive and significant effects on tourism experience quality, and that experience quality also enhances destination image. However, the direct effect of technology access on destination image was not significant, while the direct effect of digital literacy was negative and significant. Thus, digital capabilities improve destination image only when they enhance tourists’ experiences.

Keywords

Tourism experience quality

Digital Literacy

Technology Access

Destination image

Subjects