How do smart tourism technologies influence eWOM? Exploring the role of destination attachment and tourists’ well-being

Smart tourism technologies (STTs) have transformed travel experiences; however, their role in shaping tourists’ emotional and behavioral responses remains underexplored. This study investigates how STTs influence destination attachment, customer well-being, and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) model, a structural model was tested using PLS-SEM with data from 365 respondents. The findings indicate that STTs significantly influence destination attachment, customer well-being, and eWOM. Furthermore, destination attachment significantly mediated the relationship between STTs and eWOM, whereas the mediating effect of tourist well-being was positive but only marginally significant. These results offer practical implications for stakeholders in the tourism industry aiming to leverage technology-driven experiences to foster emotional bonds and encourage positive online discourses about destinations.