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SCIENCE ARTICLE
Electronic Word-of-Mouth Marketing in the Promotion of Ecotourism – The Role of Trust and Perception
Thức Ngọc Nguyễn 1
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Faculty of Business Administration, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH), Viet Nam
 
 
Submission date: 2025-08-14
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-10-25
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-11-15
 
 
Online publication date: 2025-12-23
 
 
Publication date: 2025-12-23
 
 
Corresponding author
Thức Ngọc Nguyễn   

Faculty of Business Administration, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH), Viet Nam
 
 
Management 2025;(2):294-321
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58691/man/214272
 
 
Article (PDF)
References (78)
 
KEYWORDS
Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM)
ecotourism
Theory of Planned Behavior
(TPB)
Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R)
ecotourism intention
 
JEL CLASSIFICATION CODES
M31
L83
Z32
O33
 
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Research background and purpose:
eWOM, an evolution of traditional word-of-mouth via social media, plays a key role in influencing consumer decisions, particularly in Vietnam’s growing ecotourism sector. This study examines eWOM’s effect on ecotourism intention, with online review credibility as a moderator and trust, attitude, and perceived destination image as mediators, applying the TPB and the S–O–R framework.

Design/methodology/approach:
A convenience sample of 608 Vietnamese respondents was surveyed. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4.0 to test hypothesized relationships and moderation effects.

Findings:
eWOM positively influences trust, attitude, perceived destination image, and ecotourism intention. Online review credibility positively moderates the effects of eWOM on trust, perceived destination image, and intention, but not on attitude.

Value added and limitations:
This research extends TPB and S–O–R by integrating online communication factors into ecotourism intention models. It offers practical implications for destination marketing, particularly in enhancing review credibility to strengthen trust and positive perceptions. Limitations include the use of non-probability, convenience sampling and the focus on Vietnamese ecotourism, which may restrict the generalizability of findings.
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