How does cuteness become the cue? Investigating the impact of cute destination spokespersons on tourist travel intention

While cute advertising appeals are prevalent, their effects in tourism are largely under-researched. This study contributes to the tourism literature by examining the effects of the perceived cuteness of destination spokespersons on tourists' travel intentions and revealing the psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions. Study 1 (N = 352) was a questionnaire survey that revealed the main effect of perceived cuteness and the mediating role of destination trust. Study 2 (N = 364) was a 2 × 3 experiment that demonstrated the interaction effect between cuteness type and destination type. Study 3 (N = 187) validated the mediating roles of curiosity and experience expectation for utilitarian destinations. In general, the effects of cute destination spokespersons vary across destinations. Practical implications were offered for tourism destination marketing.