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Introduction The rapid expansion of short-video platforms has transformed destination promotion, yet the psychological processes linking digital stimuli to behavioral intentions among young travelers remain underexplored. Methods Using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, data were collected from 344 Generation Z respondents aged 21-27 years who had previously viewed Bali-related content on TikTok. Results The analysis reveals two main pathways: a direct effect of Influencer Credibility, TikTok Content Quality, and Electronic Word of Mouth on behavioral responses ( β = 0.417), and an indirect path through the psychological Organism-Emotion, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and Self-Identification which also significantly influences responses ( β = 0.149). TikTok Content Quality emerged as the most dominant stimulus ( β = 0.760), while Self-Identification was the strongest psychological predictor within the Organism construct ( β = 0.785). Intention to Visit showed the highest loading within the Response construct ( β = 0.889), indicating the strong persuasive power of digital content. Discussion Although the model demonstrates high reliability at the lower-order construct level, limitations in convergent and discriminant validity were identified in higher-order constructs. The study extends the S-O-R framework in algorithm-driven short-video contexts and offers practical insights for tourism boards and digital strategists seeking to enhance cultural engagement and increase destination visit intentions among young travelers.
Widaningsih et al. (Wed,) studied this question.