The Impact of Social Media on Tourism Purchase Intention: Examining the Mediating Role of Digital Trust and the Moderating Role of Digital ReadinessA comparative study in four Arab countries Saudi, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen.

The study problem lies in the limited integrated understanding of the impact of social media on tourism purchase intention within the context of varying Arab digital environments. The study hypothesized that social media exerts both a direct and an indirect positive effect on tourism purchase intention, through digital trust as a mediating variable, and with differences arising from levels of digital readiness as a moderating variable. The study aimed to test this hypothesis in four Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen. Its significance stems from providing an explanatory model that integrates technological and behavioral dimensions to support digital tourism marketing. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach and a quantitative method using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), based on data collected from a sample of 600 respondents. The findings revealed a significant direct effect of social media on tourism purchase intention, as well as an indirect effect through digital trust, indicating partial mediation. Additionally, statistically significant differences were found among countries, favoring environments with higher levels of digital readiness. The study recommended enhancing digital trust, improving digital infrastructure, and designing interactive marketing content aligned with varying levels of digital readiness.