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From Brochures to Bytes: Destination Branding through Social, Mobile, and AI—A Systematic Narrative Review with Meta-Analysis

Author

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  • Chryssoula Chatzigeorgiou

    (Department of Organization Management, Marketing and Tourism, International Hellenic University, P.O. Box 141, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Evangelos Christou

    (Department of Organization Management, Marketing and Tourism, International Hellenic University, P.O. Box 141, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Ioanna Simeli

    (Department of Organization Management, Marketing and Tourism, International Hellenic University, P.O. Box 141, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece)

Abstract

Digital transformation has re-engineered tourism marketing and how destination branding competes for tourist attention, yet scholarship offers little systematic quantification of these changes. Drawing on 160 peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and 2025, we combine grounded-theory thematic synthesis with a random-effect meta-analysis of 60 datasets to trace branding performance across five technological eras (pre-Internet and brochure era: to mid-1990s; Web 1.0: 1995–2004; Web 2.0: 2004–2013; mobile first: 2013–2020; AI-XR: 2020–2025). Results reveal three structural shifts: (i) dialogic engagement replaces one-way promotion, (ii) credibility migrates to user-generated content, and (iii) artificial intelligence–driven personalisation reconfigures relevance, while mobile and virtual reality marketing extend immersion. Meta-analytic estimates show the strongest gains for engagement intentions (g = 0.57), followed by brand awareness (g = 0.46) and image (g = 0.41). Other equity dimensions (attitudes, loyalty, perceived quality) also improved on average, but to a lesser degree. Visual, UGC-rich, and influencer posts on highly interactive platforms consistently outperform brochure-style content, while robustness checks (fail-safe N, funnel symmetry, leave-one-out) confirm stability. We conclude that digital tools amplify, rather than replace, co-creation, credibility, and context. By fusing historical narrative with statistical certainty, the study delivers a data-anchored roadmap for destination marketers, researchers, and policymakers preparing for the AI-mediated decade ahead.

Suggested Citation

  • Chryssoula Chatzigeorgiou & Evangelos Christou & Ioanna Simeli, 2025. "From Brochures to Bytes: Destination Branding through Social, Mobile, and AI—A Systematic Narrative Review with Meta-Analysis," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-57, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:9:p:371-:d:1752945
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    References listed on IDEAS

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