When Trust Fails but Image Prevails: UGC, Destination Image, and Tourist Visit Decisions at Santolo Beach, Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines a paradoxical phenomenon at Santolo Beach, West Java, where tourist arrivals continued to increase despite widespread information regarding illegal levies (extortion) allegedly committed by rogue law enforcement officers in April 2026. Using a causal-explanatory quantitative design with a cross-sectional approach, the study applies a Multiple Mediation Model to investigate the influence of User-Generated Content (UGC) on Visit Decision through the mediating variables of Trust and Destination Image. Data were collected from 385 Generation Z respondents selected through purposive sampling, with the criterion that they had been exposed to viral content (both positive and negative) related to Santolo Beach. The research instrument consisted of 51 statements measured on a five-point Likert scale, distributed through both online and offline channels. The data were subsequently analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 3.0 software. The findings reveal that Destination Image serves as the dominant factor and the sole full mediator in sustaining tourists’ intention to visit. In contrast, the Trust variable declined significantly and failed to influence visit decisions. This phenomenon gives rise to two novel concepts: image resilience, defined as the capacity of social media visuals to preserve a destination’s attractiveness, and the trust dismissal mechanism, whereby Generation Z tourists tend to overlook issues of institutional integrity in favor of aesthetic satisfaction or the influence of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). Although short-term visitation levels remain stable, the study warns that internal misconduct continues to pose a serious long-term reputational threat to the sustainability of the destination.