The Role of Social Connectedness in the Impact of Nostalgia Marketing on the Intention to Visit Popular Tourist Destinations: Evidence from the Saudi Tourism Sector | ||||
| مجلة البحوث التجارية | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 12 August 2025 | ||||
| Document Type: تجاریة کل ما یتعلق بالعلوم التجاریة | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/zcom.2025.410505.1483 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
فاطمة الغفيلي 
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| كلية ادارة الاعمال/جامعة القصيم/ المملكة العزبية السعوديه/بريده | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study investigates the impact of nostalgia marketing on tourists’ intention to visit heritage destinations in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on the mediating role of social connectedness. As Saudi Arabia expands its tourism sector under Vision 2030, understanding the emotional and social factors influencing travel behavior has become increasingly critical. Drawing from Social Identity Theory and the Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions, the research proposes that nostalgia marketing fosters emotional responses that strengthen social connectedness, which in turn influences travel intentions. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 480 participants via an online survey targeting individuals familiar with Saudi heritage tourism. The study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS to examine both direct and mediated relationships among nostalgia marketing, social connectedness, and visit intention. The findings confirm that nostalgia marketing has a significant direct effect on both social connectedness and visit intention. Additionally, social connectedness partially mediates the relationship between nostalgia marketing and visit intention, suggesting that nostalgic emotions not only encourage travel behavior directly, but also indirectly by enhancing tourists’ sense of belonging and emotional closeness to others. This study contributes theoretically by integrating emotional and social constructs into tourism behavior models and provides practical guidance for destination marketers. Specifically, it recommends leveraging nostalgic narratives and socially engaging tourism experiences to promote sustainable cultural tourism in Saudi Arabia. The validated model offers new insights into how emotionally-driven marketing strategies influence actual travel decisions. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Nostalgia Marketing- Social Connectedness; - Visit Intention; - Cultural Tourism- | ||||
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Statistics Article View: 8 |
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