LAUSR

Abstract Despite the growing role of celebrity effects in shaping favorable tourist reactions to destination brands, little is known about how the construct is structured or functions in destination settings or niche tourism contexts. In response, this study hypothesized four elements for celebrity endorsement effects and examined how they influenced self-brand connection and brand involvement, which are antecedents to brand engagement and destination loyalty. The subjects of this study were potential tourists who were familiar with a Chines literary celebrity (Jin Yong) and a related destination (the Shaolin Temple). SPSS 25 and AMOS 22 were used to analyze the 405 valid data obtained through an online survey from October 7 to 21, 2020. Structural equation modeling analysis results showed that all the measurement scales were valid and reliable. In addition, all four elements of celebrity effects (i.e., trustworthiness, expertise, celebrity-brand congruence, and familiarity) were successful predictors of self-brand connection and brand involvement. Also, self-brand connection and brand involvement contributed significantly to brand engagement, explaining substantial variance in destination loyalty. The findings suggest the contextual nature of celebrity effects and reveal how tourists react to destination brands.