Facility Quality and Social Media Experience Increase Revisit Intention Among Surabaya Zoo Tourists

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FORMOSA NEWS

Recent research conducted by Alifia Salma Nabila, Abdul Halik, and Endah Budiarti from the University of 17 August 1945 Surabaya in 2026 reveals that facility quality and social media experience play a vital role in driving tourists' revisit intentions to Surabaya Zoo through the mediating roles of positive emotions and social media engagement. These findings are crucial for tourism destination managers to understand the combination of physical and digital factors effective in building long-term visitor loyalty.

The tourism sector is a strategic pillar in driving regional economic growth with high traveler mobility. As an iconic family recreation and educational tourism destination, Surabaya Zoo is demanded to consistently deliver satisfying travel experiences. Physical conditions such as area cleanliness, environmental comfort, facility completeness, and neat layout serve as primary stimuli that shape positive visitor perceptions. On the other hand, technological developments make social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube fast and interactive digital tools in shaping tourists' expectations and initial impressions before planning a vacation.

To examine this phenomenon, a quantitative study involved 207 respondents aged 16 and over who had directly visited Surabaya Zoo and actively used social media. Sample determination was carried out using a purposive sampling technique. Data collection utilized Likert-scale questionnaires, which were then analyzed through variance-based structural equation modeling (Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling or PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4.0 software.

The results of field data analysis indicate several prominent key findings:

• Facility quality and social media experience are proven to have a direct, positive, and significant influence on tourists' intention to revisit.
• Positive emotions and social media engagement act as mediators that strengthen the relationship between facility quality and digital experience on the decision to revisit.
• Structural model evaluation recorded an R-Square value of 0.724 for the revisit intention variable, indicating that 72.4% of the variation in revisit intention is strongly explained by this research model.

These findings provide broad practical implications for tourism industry managers and policymakers. According to the researchers from the University of 17 August 1945 Surabaya, destination managers need to balance improving physical facility quality with optimizing social media management that is informative, interactive, and educational. Consistent facility maintenance efforts combined with engaging digital content are proven capable of arousing positive emotions and active online interactions, which ultimately strengthen emotional bonds and tourist loyalty to return for tourism.

Brief Author Profiles

• Alifia Salma Nabila – Researcher and academic at the University of 17 August 1945 Surabaya.
• Abdul Halik – Researcher and academic at the University of 17 August 1945 Surabaya.
• Endah Budiarti – Researcher and academic at the University of 17 August 1945 Surabaya.

Research Sources

• Article Title: Effect of Facility Quality and Social Media Experience Mediated Positive Emotions and Social Media Engagement on the Revisiting Intention
• Publication Year: 2026

• DOI: 

  https://doi.org/10.59890/ijels.v4i7.39