I can go there! The effect of walkability elements in travel photos on the visit intentions of seniors

Seniors’ visual attention patterns are highly heterogeneous, making it essential to identify travel photo elements that meet their specific needs. Drawing on self-efficacy theory, this study proposes that enhancing perceived self-efficacy is a key mechanism in seniors’ destination decision-making. Through social media analysis and three experiments, results show that walkability elements, identified as feasibility stimuli, significantly boost seniors’ perceived self-efficacy, thereby increasing visit intention. These effects are moderated by destination type and human presence in photos. The findings provide new theoretical insights into seniors’ travel decisions and offer practical implications for visual marketing targeting this population.