Research on tourism has traditionally focused on international travel, overlooking the significant contribution of domestic tourism. While international tourism generates substantial foreign exchange, domestic tourism accounts for a much larger share of overall tourism spending (approximately 71.2% according to WTTC, 2019). Despite its economic impact and potential for regional development, research on domestic tourism remains limited (Stylidis et al., 2017). The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of domestic tourism as a viable alternative during crises, offering a means to offset losses from international travel (Arbulú et al., 2021; OECD, 2020) and potentially reducing regional inequalities through income redistribution (De Santana Ribeiro et al., 2023). Many countries, including India, have implemented initiatives to promote domestic tourism, capitalizing on its considerable potential. In India, the vast geographical expanse and diverse tourism resources present a significant opportunity. A cost-effective marketing approach for developing countries with high tourism potential but limited budgets involves leveraging electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) as a promotional tool (Kanje et al., 2020). Since 2021, social media and online review sites have played a crucial role in influencing tourist decision-making (Sanjeev and Birdie, 2019), given the experiential nature of tourism purchases and the importance of pre-purchase information (Kim et al., 2022). eWOM facilitates information access for potential tourists, mitigating information disadvantages. Tourists heavily rely on eWOM compared to other information channels (Verma and Yadav, 2021). This study investigates the influence of destination attributes and personal interest on eWOM intentions among domestic tourists in India, aiming to understand how to organically stimulate eWOM for domestic tourism marketing. The research addresses two primary questions: 1. How do destination attributes (natural beauty, cultural/historical aspects, destination inhabitants' friendliness) impact overall destination experience and subsequently, eWOM sharing intent in public and private networks? 2. What role does personal pleasure from vacation play in stimulating eWOM in both personal and public networks? Previous research has established behavioral intention (eWOM intent) as a key indicator of destination success (Afshardoost, Eshaghi, 2020). Understanding the psychological processes driving eWOM generation is essential for organic eWOM seeding. Furthermore, existing research lacks differentiation between eWOM in personal and public networks (Line et al., 2020), a gap addressed in this study.

This study draws upon two main streams of research: (1) the influence of environmental stimuli (destination attributes) on word-of-mouth (WOM)/eWOM in tourism, and (2) the impact of destination image (cognition and affect) on WOM/eWOM. Litvin et al. (2008) identified consumption experience as a key source of WOM in tourism and hospitality. Online WOM emerges when senders develop attitudes based on their experiences (Tang and Guo, 2015). Research indicates that product/service attribute evaluation is a significant antecedent of eWOM creation (Chen and Law, 2016), with product characteristics influencing information transmission and increasing online WOM (Berger and Schwartz, 2011). In hospitality, factors like food quality, service levels, and ambiance trigger positive eWOM motivations (Jeong and Jang, 2011; Yen and Tang, 2015, 2019). Positive service experiences drive eWOM intentions due to high involvement and perceived gains/losses (Kim, 2017). Peter and Olson (2010) highlight the brain's advanced cognitive system in understanding, assessing, and decision-making. In tourism, the cognitive component includes knowledge and beliefs about destination attributes (Baloglu and McCleary, 1999; Gartner, 1994; Pike and Ryan, 2004; Tasci et al., 2007; Rasoolimanesh et al., 2021). The cognitive image is tangible, objective knowledge about destination uniqueness. Customer experience in tourism encompasses cognitive, affective, and conative components (Godovykh and Tasci, 2020), with cognitive and affective dimensions positively relating to customer delight (Rivera et al., 2019). The cognitive image is evaluated based on destination attributes (Agapito et al., 2013; Papadimitriou et al., 2015), influencing conative dimensions (intent to recommend, positive WOM, revisit intention), often mediated by the affective component (Agapito et al., 2013). This study uses the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory and the tri-component attitude model. The S-O-R framework explains how environmental stimuli affect internal states, leading to behavior (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974). The tri-component model (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2007) includes cognition, affect, and conation (White, 2004, 2014). Existing research has explored the impact of cognitive and affective destination impressions on WOM intent (Papadimitriou et al., 2015) and revisit/recommendation intentions (Agapito et al., 2013; Ragb et al., 2020), but there's a gap in examining the role of destination image attributes in eWOM intentions, particularly for domestic tourism where perceptions may differ from international tourists (Stylidis et al., 2017).

This quantitative study surveyed 630 domestic tourists in India, focusing on those with internet access. Five major tourist destinations were selected based on expert opinion and data from the Ministry of Tourism's website, ensuring representativeness of popular locations across India. The sample size is justified by previous research (Pandey and Sahu, 2020; Papadimitriou et al., 2015; Ragb et al., 2020; Xu et al., 2018; Hair et al., 2019) and SEM analysis guidelines. Data were collected using an in-situ intercept method, approaching tourists at popular attractions. Purposive sampling targeted English-speaking tourists engaged in leisure travel (overnight trips). Two screening questions ensured that participants were within the target group (leisure tourists with internet access). The questionnaire included items measuring constructs of natural beauty of the destination (NBD), cultural and historical aspects (CHA), destination inhabitants’ friendliness and safety (DIS), personal pleasure from vacations (PPV), overall destination experience (ODE), online sharing with friends and family (OSF), and online sharing with strangers (OSS). The data were analyzed in three stages using SPSS and AMOS. First, descriptive analysis provided insights into the sample profile. Second, principal component analysis (PCA) determined the underlying factor structure of the constructs. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modeling (SEM), and mediation analysis validated the measurement model and examined the hypothesized relationships between constructs. The PCA, with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization, identified seven factors accounting for approximately 73% of the variance. CFA assessed discriminant and convergent validity, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability), and average variance extracted (AVE). SEM examined the hypothesized relationships, and mediation analysis assessed the mediating role of ODE. Common method bias was evaluated using Harman's single-factor test and a latent common method factor. The hypotheses tested involved the influence of NBD, DIS, and CHA on ODE; the impact of ODE and PPV on OSF and OSS; and the mediating role of ODE in the relationships between the exogenous variables and OSF/OSS. The measures used were scales adapted from prior studies (Kaur et al., 2016; Gursoy and Gavcar, 2003; Ragb et al., 2020; Wen et al., 2018).

The study's findings confirm a strong positive relationship between destination attributes and eWOM sharing intentions. Specifically: 1. **Natural Beauty of the Destination (NBD) and Overall Destination Experience (ODE):** The NBD significantly and positively impacts the ODE (β = 0.393, t = 8.355, p < 0.001). Tourists who perceived high levels of natural beauty reported a more positive overall experience. 2. **Destination Inhabitants' Friendliness and Safety (DIS) and ODE:** The DIS also significantly and positively influenced the ODE (β = 0.133, t = 4.680, p < 0.001), highlighting the importance of positive interactions between tourists and locals. 3. **Cultural and Historical Aspects (CHA) and ODE:** Surprisingly, the CHA did not significantly impact the ODE (β = 0.004, t = 0.188, p > 0.05). This finding might be attributed to the nature of the chosen destinations, which were predominantly nature-based. Further research is needed to investigate this aspect. 4. **ODE and Online Sharing Intentions:** The ODE significantly and positively predicted both online sharing intent with friends and family (OSF) (β = 0.261, t = 2.870, p < 0.005) and online sharing intent with strangers (OSS) (β = 0.625, t = 6.057, p < 0.001). A positive overall experience led to a higher likelihood of sharing the experience online. 5. **Personal Pleasure from Vacations (PPV) and Online Sharing Intentions:** The PPV significantly and positively predicted both OSF (β = 0.664, t = 4.780, p < 0.001) and OSS (β = 0.526, t = 4.293, p < 0.001). Tourists who derived greater pleasure from their vacation were more likely to share their experiences online. 6. **Mediation Analysis:** The ODE partially mediated the relationship between DIS and OSS (β = 0.087, t = 3.022, p < 0.05) and between DIS and OSF (β = 0.062, t = 2.897, p < 0.05). It fully mediated the relationship between NBD and OSF (β = 0.092, t = 2.876, p < 0.05) and partially mediated the relationship between PPV and OSF (β = 0.121, t = 4.875, p < 0.001). This indicates that the positive impact of destination attributes and personal pleasure on online sharing intentions is partly due to the positive overall experience. The model fit indices (CMIN/DF = 2.917, CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.935, IFI = 0.946, NFI = 0.920, SRMR = 0.056, RMSEA = 0.055, PClose = 0.982) indicated excellent model fit. Common method bias was found to be minimal and not a significant concern.

The findings support the study's hypotheses, highlighting the crucial roles of destination attributes, overall experience, and personal pleasure in shaping domestic tourists' eWOM intentions. The significant influence of NBD and DIS confirms the importance of environmental appeal and positive host-guest interactions in generating positive eWOM. The mediating role of ODE underscores the importance of crafting a positive overall experience to enhance eWOM. The strong influence of PPV suggests that targeting tourists highly involved in travel can be a highly effective strategy for stimulating organic eWOM. The unexpected non-significant role of CHA in influencing ODE requires further investigation, potentially exploring the specific types of cultural attractions or the characteristics of the destinations studied. These results resonate with existing literature on tourism experience and WOM, extending the understanding of eWOM in the specific context of domestic Indian tourism. The research provides actionable insights for tourism stakeholders and destination managers regarding the importance of enhancing destination attributes, creating authentic experiences and fostering positive interactions with locals to drive positive eWOM. This research emphasizes the necessity of a holistic approach to destination management, encompassing not only environmental preservation and infrastructure development but also the cultivation of welcoming local communities and promotion of authentic cultural experiences.

This study contributes to the eWOM literature by providing empirical evidence enriching existing models and highlighting the importance of national and contextual specificity. The findings have significant implications for tourism marketing strategies, emphasizing the need to prioritize destination attributes that enhance tourist experience and stimulate positive eWOM. Future research could explore eWOM in other cultural contexts, employ longitudinal designs to examine the evolution of eWOM intentions, and incorporate objective data sources to complement self-reported measures. Investigating the determinants of negative eWOM and its impact on destination image is also a crucial area for future exploration.

This study's findings are limited by its geographical scope (India only), cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported data, and limited exploration of negative eWOM. The generalizability of the results might be restricted to similar contexts. The cross-sectional nature does not account for temporal changes in eWOM intentions. Self-reported data can be influenced by biases. Future research should address these limitations.