The role of emotional solidarity and host sincerity in the relationship between self congruity, destination love and social sharing intention

In tourism literature, it is seen that many factors are effective on tourists' travel satisfaction. Studies have shown that the emotion transfer and behavior of the local people living in the selected destination is one of these factors in the experiences of tourists during their travels. In this study, the mediating effect of emotional solidarity and host sincerity on the relationship between self congruity, destination love and social sharing intention was tested. Within the scope of the study, domestic tourists visiting the Cappadocia region constituted the population of the study. In the study, convenience sampling was used and data were collected by questionnaire method. Within the scope of the study, a total of 406 domestic tourists were surveyed face-to-face and data were collected. The data obtained were analyzed with SmartPLS 4.0.1 software. The findings showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between self-image congruence and destination love. It also revealed that emotional solidarity and host sincerity mediate this relationship. Finally, destination love was found to have a significant effect on social sharing intention. In the light of the analysis of the data obtained from the study and the findings, various suggestions were made for tourism businesses, destination managers and local people. In addition, recommendations for future studies have been made for researchers.