Tour Guide Sincerity in the Context of Short Videos

In short videos, tour guides’ demonstration of sincerity is key to enhancing visitor interaction, though its underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study employed a mixed research design to uncover the dimensions of tour guide sincerity and its impact on tourist behaviors. Study 1 analyzed 28,717 reviews using grounded theory, identifying two core dimensions of tour guide sincerity: “sincere atmosphere” and “sincere quality”; it further constructed the “tour guide sincerity → sincerity experience → sincerity response” model. Study 2 validated this model using structural equation modeling through an online questionnaire survey. Results indicate that tour guide sincerity enhances word-of-mouth recommendations via the mediating effects of trust and tour guide attachment, while travel agency reputation positively moderates the influence of sincere atmosphere. This research not only deepens theoretical understanding of sincerity in tourism but also provides actionable guidance for tour guides and marketers to implement effective sincerity-oriented strategies.