From Perceived Video-Ad Design to Engagement in Tourism Marketing: The Roles of Narrative Transportation, Advertising Stimulation, and Destination Familiarity

Tourism destination marketers increasingly rely on video advertising, yet the psycho-logical mechanisms linking perceived advertising design and destination familiarity to engagement remain underspecified in tourism contexts. Drawing on narrative trans-portation and advertising stimulation perspectives, this study examines how perceived advertising design and destination familiarity relate to narrative transportation and advertising stimulation, and how these mechanisms relate to engagement. Using a survey of 915 Portuguese respondents and structural equation modelling in AMOS, we estimate a model comprising advertising design, destination familiarity, narrative transportation, advertising stimulation, and engagement. Results show that perceived advertising design is positively associated with narrative transportation (β=0.451, p< 0.01) and advertising stimulation (β=0.158, p< 0.01). Destination familiarity is also positively associated with narrative transportation (β=0.215, p< 0.01) and advertising stimulation (β=0.104, p< 0.01). Narrative transportation strongly predicts advertising stimulation (β=0.659, p< 0.01), whereas narrative transportation Tourism destination marketers increasingly rely on video advertising, yet the psycho-logical mechanisms linking perceived advertising design and destination familiarity to engagement remain underspecified in tourism contexts. Drawing on narrative trans-portation and advertising stimulation perspectives, this study examines how perceived advertising design and destination familiarity relate to narrative transportation and advertising stimulation, and how these mechanisms relate to engagement. Using a survey of 915 Portuguese respondents and structural equation modelling in AMOS, we estimate a model comprising advertising design, destination familiarity, narrative transportation, advertising stimulation, and engagement. Results show that perceived advertising design is positively associated with narrative transportation (β=0.451, p< 0.01) and advertising stimulation (β=0.158, p< 0.01). Destination familiarity is also positively associated with narrative transportation (β=0.215, p< 0.01) and advertising stimulation (β=0.104, p< 0.01). Narrative transportation strongly predicts advertising stimulation (β=0.659, p< 0.01), whereas narrative transportation does not show a sig-nificant direct association with engagement (β=0.086, n.s.). Advertising stimulation is positively associated with engagement (β=0.288, p< 0.01). Findings suggest that, in this context, affective activation (stimulation) may be a more proximal correlate of self-reported engagement than narrative immersion alone, warranting careful inter-pretation given the cross-sectional, self-report design. does not show a sig-nificant direct association with engagement (β=0.086, n.s.). Advertising stimulation is positively associated with engagement (β=0.288, p< 0.01). Findings suggest that, in this context, affective activation (stimulation) may be a more proximal correlate of self-reported engagement than narrative immersion alone, warranting careful inter-pretation given the cross-sectional, self-report design.