Journal of Tourism & Hospitality
Open Access

Live Steaming Promotion Success in Rural Tourism: A Congruence Effect of Broadcaster and Rural Tour

Kai Wang^{* *}Correspondence: Kai Wang, Department of Tourism, University of Haikou, Hainan, China, Email:

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Description

This article delves into the efficacy of broadcasters in promoting rural tourism via live streaming, a vital component of digital marketing. It particularly investigates whether the type of broadcaster a celebrity versus a local villager, aligns effectively with the type of rural tour (local culture tour vs. natural ecology tour) being promoted. This question is prompted by the inconsistent results in rural tourism live streaming, where celebrity engagements often yield varied returns, from significant promotions to disappointing outcomes that do not cover the expense. In contrast, some lesser-known villagers have achieved notable success in showcasing their village tours via live streaming platforms. Meanwhile, there is a puzzle for how to utilize broadcaster in rural tour promotions. This study seeks to solve this puzzle, proposing the “congruence effect”, which assesses the compatibility of broadcaster type (celebrity vs. local villager) with rural tour type (local culture vs. natural ecology), aiming to optimize the promotion strategy of rural tour.

This study employs an experimental design, using scenarios to manipulate broadcaster types and rural tour types, then assess viewers’ responses to this congruence effect and measure their travel intentions. This methodological approach allows for a strict controlled examination of the congruence effect and its impact on potential tourists' travel intentions.

Two important findings emerge the broadcaster-tour congruence effect and its underlying mechanisms. First, this study demonstrates the congruence effect between broadcaster type and rural tour type significantly influences promotional efficacy. Specifically, local villagers show greater effectiveness in promoting rural cultural tours, while celebrities are more effective in endorsing natural ecology tours. This congruence effect significantly enhances the persuasiveness of promotion and subsequently increasing the travel intentions of viewers considering visiting the rural destination.

Second, we explore the mechanisms of this congruence effect. This paper delves into the underlying mechanisms, identifying internalization and identification as key mediators. Local villagers promoting rural cultural tours lead to higher internalization among viewers, whereas celebrities endorsing ecological tours facilitate greater identification.

This study offers valuable insights into the strategic use of live streaming for rural tourism promotion. The findings underscore the importance of matching the broadcaster's persona with the nature of the tour. These insights have practical implications for marketers, suggesting that a nuanced understanding of the choice of the broadcaster can significantly enhance the effectiveness of digital marketing campaigns in rural tourism.

In summary, the study contributes to the expanding field of digital marketing in tourism, particularly emphasizing the congruence effect in live streaming promotions. The study not only enriches the theoretical understanding of digital marketing dynamics but also provides actionable insights for practitioners in the tourism industry, especially in rural tourism contexts. The nuanced findings regarding broadcaster effectiveness in different tour types offer a strategic framework for rural tour managers to leveraging its influence through live streaming platforms to maximize the impact of rural tourism promotion.

While this study makes some contributions in the field of digital marketing in tourism, future studies should go on to focus on the practical issues of the newly phenomenon in live streaming tourism promoting, to make our theoretical study relevance to the newly practical trends in this digital area, providing more comprehensive findings for practical managers to make our academic work more interesting and meaningful.