THE INFLUENCE OF GOOGLE MAPS REVIEWS AND TIKTOK CONTENT CREDIBILITY ON TOURISTS’ VISITING INTENTION TO DUSUN SEMILIR

Abstract

The growing utilisation of digital media has transformed how tourists seek information before visiting a destination, including through Google Maps reviews and short-form TikTok videos. This phenomenon is evident at Dusun Semilir, Semarang Regency, where visitor numbers have continued to decline since peaking in 2022, despite ongoing promotional activities across both platforms. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour as its overarching conceptual framework, this study examines the role of Google Maps reviews and TikTok content credibility in shaping tourists’ inclination to visit Dusun Semilir, considering each factor’s individual contribution and their combined explanatory power regarding visitation intention. The research adopts a quantitative paradigm with an associative design, collecting survey data from one hundred participants. Sample size was determined using the Lemeshow formula, while respondents were selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis employed multiple linear regression using SPSS, with empirical evidence obtained from a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The combination of Google Maps reviews and TikTok content credibility accounted for 63.5% of the variance in tourists’ visitation intention towards Dusun Semilir. The model’s statistical significance was demonstrated by an F-statistic of 87.018, with a significance value of 0.000. Analysis of individual predictors revealed that Google Maps reviews constituted the most dominant factor, with a t-statistic of 9.577 and a significance value of 0.000, indicating a positive and statistically significant influence on visitation intention. TikTok content credibility likewise demonstrated a positive and statistically significant influence, as evidenced by a t-statistic of 9.189 and a significance value of 0.000. Practically, these findings underscore digital reputation management and promotional authenticity as strategic priorities for Dusun Semilir’s management, particularly through active responses to Google Maps reviews and TikTok content that accurately reflects the destination’s actual conditions