The mediator role of perceived authenticity in the effect of the hotel experience on electronic word of mouth

With the development of Web 2.0 technologies, traditional word-of-mouth communication (WOM) has moved to digital platforms and transformed into electronic word-of-mouth communication (E-WOM). This transformation has directly affected the brand values of destinations and businesses, especially in the tourism sector, as consumers share their experiences online. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of four dimensions (entertainment, education, aesthetics, and escape) that make up the experiences of tourists staying in rock hotels in the Cappadocia region on electronic word-of-mouth (E-WOM) intentions and the mediating role of perceived authenticity in these relationships. The sample of the study consists of 500 domestic and foreign tourists who stayed at rock hotels in Cappadocia for at least one night in 2024. The data were collected through convenience sampling and face-to-face Turkish/English questionnaires. All variables were measured with five-point Likert-type scales that have been validated in the literature and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). According to the findings, it was determined that the sub-dimensions of the hotel experience, especially the entertainment and escape elements, significantly increased the positive E-WOM intentions of tourists. On the other hand, the effects of aesthetic and educational experiences on positive and negative E-WOM were not statistically significant. While perceived authenticity had a strong and significant effect on positive E-WOM, it did not have a significant effect on negative E-WOM. Mediation analyses revealed that perceived authenticity played a partial mediating role in the effects of leisure, escape, aesthetic and educational experiences on positive E-WOM. This is one of the first academic studies to examine the role of perceived authenticity in the impact of rock hotel experience on digital word-of-mouth intention. The findings show that authentic experiences increase the tendency to be shared digitally and provide recommendations for tourism businesses to emphasize the dimensions of authenticity, fun and escape in experience design.