Abstract

This study investigates the impact of digital marketing channels on tourism decision-making in Saudi Arabia's evolving tourism sector under Vision 2030. Using data collected from 537 participants through structural equation modeling, we examine digital marketing channel effectiveness, the mediating role of perceived usefulness, and cultural moderation effects. Results reveal that social media marketing demonstrates the strongest direct effect on travel intentions, followed by search engine marketing and mobile marketing. Perceived usefulness significantly mediates these relationships, explaining 42% of variance in travel intentions, with stronger mediation effects for social media marketing. Cultural factors, particularly collectivism, significantly moderate digital marketing effectiveness, with stronger effects in high-collectivism contexts through specific mechanisms including family decision-making patterns (β = 0.445), social consensus requirements, and peer influence networks. These findings advance technology acceptance and cultural adaptation theories while providing actionable insights for destination marketing organizations seeking to leverage digital platforms effectively to achieve Vision 2030's tourism objectives.

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