From fan to become tourist: watching online videos as seamlessly connecting travel

Purpose In view of the influences of online videos on the cultural tourism industry, this study aims to explore the mechanisms triggered by watching online video behaviors of fans. This study examines how fans who have watched celebrities’ online videos become tourists who attend concerts held at destinations based on celebrity and destination endorsements. Design/methodology/approach This study builds for celebrity and destination endorsements on online videos by combining media richness and source model theory. This research adopts partial least squares structural equation modeling to analyze the mechanism triggered by online media. Findings Watching online media influences celebrity and destination endorsements, which, in turn, affects the concert experience and intention to return to the destination. Results reveal less intertwined relationships between celebrity and destination endorsements and the complex mechanisms between the two endorsements. Originality/value With the rise in popularity of online media, online content has become a major source of information in the tourism industry and a means of enjoying travel seamlessly. This study highlights not only the role of “watching online videos” as one of the richest media but also the role of live concerts in cultural tourism for understanding complex cultural tourism.