How to speak destinations more efficiently: a study on the effects of narration in tourism films on viewer perceptions and intentions

In an age where visual media serves as a pivotal channel for information dissemination, this study examines the effects of varied narrations on viewers’ perception of destination images (DI) and their travel intentions (TI), utilizing Speech Act Theory (SAT) as a theoretical framework. We adopted a sequential mixed-methods research design, with a three-staged approach. In stage one, we gathered and categorized the narrations, using them to create narration exemplars for the experiments. In the second stage, we conducted a quantitative survey to validate our research hypotheses. Building on the results from stage two, stage three incorporated semi-structured interviews to further elucidate the findings. Our research indicates that viewer responses significantly differ across various narration styles. Specifically, representative narration was found to enhance viewers’ perception of destination images more effectively. However, both commissive and expressive narrations were more successful in stimulating viewers’TI, evoking feelings of pleasure, uniqueness, and connection.