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Two-sided AI travel ads cut skepticism and lift engagement, two experiments find

Study title: The power of two-sidedness: enhancing the user engagement intention towards AI-generated emotional tourism advertising

Evidence type
Controlled or validated comparison
Sample
n = 336
Sources
1 sourcePeer-reviewed
Published
1 min read
Truvace record
TRV-2026-2668cite or check it

Study title: The power of two-sidedness: enhancing the user engagement intention towards AI-generated emotional tourism advertising

Two experiments tested how emotional intensity in AI-generated tourism advertising shapes people's intention to engage with it. Study 1 involved 126 participants and looked at the main effect; Study 2 involved 210 participants and tested the mechanism behind it.

Read the study abstract

The growing application of artificial intelligence (AI) in tourism communication has transformed the ways destinations and businesses engage with potential travelers. Yet, the role of emotional intensity in shaping user engagement and the underlying mechanism remain underexplored. Drawing on attribution theory, this study employed two experiments to investigate these dynamics. Study 1 examined the main effect (N = 126), and Study 2 tested the underlying mechanism (N = 210). The results indicate an initial increa…

The gain

In two experiments with 126 and 210 participants, researchers found that two-sided AI-generated tourism advertising reduced viewers' skepticism and strengthened their intention to engage with the ad.

In brief

Engagement first rose and then fell as emotional intensity increased. The pattern was mediated by two factors: how connected people felt to the AI (self-AI connection) and how skeptical they were of AI advertising.

Two-sided advertising, which presents more than one side, lowered skepticism and strengthened engagement. The authors frame it as a more credible and responsible approach for destinations and tourism businesses.

Main points

  1. The research used two experiments grounded in attribution theory, with 126 participants in Study 1 and 210 in Study 2.
  2. Engagement with AI-generated tourism ads increased and then decreased as emotional intensity rose.
  3. Self-AI connection and AI advertising skepticism mediated the link between emotional intensity and engagement.
  4. Two-sided advertising reduced skepticism and strengthened engagement.
  5. The authors describe two-sided narratives as a way to build trust and support long-term relationships between destinations and travelers.

The full story

The study, published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, addresses how AI-generated emotional advertising affects potential travelers. It notes that the role of emotional intensity in shaping engagement and its underlying mechanism had been underexplored.

Study 1 (N = 126) tested the main effect of emotional intensity on engagement intention, finding an initial rise followed by a decline. Study 2 (N = 210) tested the mechanism, identifying self-AI connection and AI advertising skepticism as mediators.

The authors conclude that dual-sided narratives in AI-generated tourism advertising can build trust and increase user participation, contributing to sustainable marketing practices.

Sources

1 on file
  1. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Researchdoi:10.1080/10941665.2026.2662281
    Peer-reviewed2026-08-05

Talk it over

Four questions to start onWho gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

Start with a question

Two-sided AI travel ads cut skepticism and lift engagement, two experiments findhttps://truvace.com/item/the-power-of-two-sidedness-enhancing-the-user-engagement-intention-towards-ai-ge

  1. Who gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

    The gain In two experiments with 126 and 210 participants, researchers found that two-sided AI-generated tourism advertising reduced viewers' skepticism and strengthened their intention to engage with the ad.

    Answer in the thread

  2. How do we know? What can this kind of evidence show, and what can’t it?

    The evidence This rests on a controlled comparison with a sample of 336, from Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.

    Answer in the thread

  3. What does it leave open? What else would you want to know before acting on it?

    Answer in the thread

  4. Have you seen AI used this way where you study, work or live? Did it go the same way?

    Answer in the thread

The questions are the same on every record. The details under them are taken from this record as written.

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