DIGITAL PLACE BRANDING AND VISITOR BEHAVIOUR IN KELANTAN: THE ROLE OF OFFICIAL CONTENT, ONLINE REVIEWS, AND MESSAGING CHANNELS

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of digital place branding in Kelantan by analysing how official digital content, online reviews, and messaging channels influence visit intention and local spending intention. Anchored in Kelantan’s digital governance initiatives, including Digital Kelantan, the SUK Kelantan Pendigitalan Plan (2022–2025), and the Blueprint Bandar Pintar Negeri Kelantan 2040, the study adopts a quantitative approach using survey data from 350 domestic travellers. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed relationships and mediation effects. The findings reveal that online reviews exert the strongest influence on visit intention, followed by official digital content and messaging channels. Visit intention significantly predicts local spending intention and mediates the effects of all digital place branding components. The results demonstrate that digital place branding functions as a behavioural mechanism rather than a symbolic communication tool. The study contributes to digital place branding literature by providing policy-relevant empirical evidence from a regional context and offers practical guidance for performance-oriented digital governance in tourism development.