Building destination brands through trust: unpacking the role of digital integrated marketing communication in driving travel intentions

In the increasingly competitive digital communication landscape, destination brands face growing pressure to cultivate trust and brand equity through credible, value-driven messaging. However, the psychological mechanisms through which digital integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategies influence consumer trust, brand perception, and behavioral intentions remain underexplored. Grounded in commitment–trust theory, this study empirically examines how a digital IMC strategy enhances information trust and destination brand equity, ultimately fostering consumers’ intention to visit. Analysis of survey data from 356 digitally engaged travelers reveals that: (1) digital IMC significantly strengthens both information trust and perceived brand equity; (2) trust acts as a critical psychological mediator, reinforcing the effect of communication efforts on brand equity; and (3) the trust–equity pathway serves as a strong predictor of travel intention. This research contributes to tourism and digital communication scholarship by clarifying trust as a mediating mechanism linking digital integrated marketing communication to destination brand equity and intention and by operationalizing information trust as a context-specific trust target in the pre-trip evaluation stage. The findings also inform destination marketing practice by showing how consistency and interactivity relate to information trust and destination brand equity, which in turn relate to intention.