PENGARUH ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH (E-WOM) DI TIKTOK DAN CITRA DESTINASI TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN BERKUNJUNG WISATAWAN GENERASI Z KE DESTINASI WISATA PULAU PANDANG KABUPATEN BATUBARA

Authors

  • Amrozi Panjaitan Program Studi Manajemen, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Manajemen Sukma, Medan, Indonesia
  • Dewi Shinta Wulandari Lubis Program Studi Manajemen, Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Manajemen Sukma, Medan, Indonesia

Keywords:

Destination Image, Electronic Word of Mouth, generation z, TikTok, Visit Decision

Abstract

The rapid growth of TikTok has driven the “TikTok Made Me Visit It” phenomenon, making electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) and destination image key factors in Generation Z tourists’ decision to visit, including Pandang Island, Batubara Regency, which gained TikTok popularity since 2022–2023, yet remains understudied academically. This quantitative study used a 1–5 Likert-scale questionnaire distributed offline and online to 100 Generation Z respondents (aged 18–27) who had visited Pandang Island and had previously seen TikTok content about it, selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4.0, evaluating the outer model (convergent and discriminant validity, reliability) and inner model (R², path coefficients, bootstrapping with 5,000 subsamples). e-WOM on TikTok positively and significantly affects destination image (β=0.779) and visit decision (β=0.439); destination image positively and significantly affects visit decision (β=0.445) and partially mediates the effect of e-WOM on visit decision (indirect effect=0.346). e-WOM on TikTok and destination image have been proven to be the main drivers of Generation Z’s visit decisions to Pandang Island; destination managers are advised to strengthen authentic e-WOM content that is consistent with the destination’s actual conditions to build a sustainable, positive image.

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Published

2026-09-27

How to Cite

Panjaitan, A. ., & Lubis, D. S. W. (2026). PENGARUH ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH (E-WOM) DI TIKTOK DAN CITRA DESTINASI TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN BERKUNJUNG WISATAWAN GENERASI Z KE DESTINASI WISATA PULAU PANDANG KABUPATEN BATUBARA. Jurnal Pariwisata Tawangmangu, 4(3), 598–606. Retrieved from https://journal.bukitpengharapan.ac.id/index.php/JUPARITA/article/view/1315

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 3 (2026): September 2026

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Amrozi Panjaitan, Dewi Shinta Wulandari Lubis

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