Professor Tae Hyun Baek from SKKU’s Department of Media and Communication, in collaboration with research teams from the University of Strathclyde (UK) and Texas A&M University (USA), has published an international joint study in a top-tier SSCI journal in the field of hospitality and tourism. This research investigates how the linguistic style (figurative versus literal language) of generative AI affects consumers’ responses to travel destination recommendations. It offers practical insights into the design of AI-driven communication strategies in tourism marketing. The research was recently published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, a top-tier Q1 SSCI journal ranked in the top 2.5% in the category of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism (2023 Impact Factor of 10.0).

Study 1 revealed that figurative language significantly increased participants’ visit intentions, with imagery vividness mediating the relationship between language style and visit intention. Study 2 demonstrated that the persuasive effect of figurative language was amplified among individuals who perceived ChatGPT as more human-like, indicating that perceived human-likeness moderates the figurative language effect. Study 3 showed that while figurative language enhanced visit intention when used by ChatGPT, the same effect was less pronounced when the recommendation came from a human agent, suggesting a fundamental difference in how language style operates depending on the recommendation agent type.

Professor Baek commented, “With the rapid advancement of generative AI technologies, understanding how AI-generated recommendations influence consumer behavior is increasingly important. This study offers empirical evidence that language style matters—and that AI, when perceived as human-like, can be particularly persuasive.”

He added, “These findings are especially relevant for K-tourism communication. Effectively leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT, particularly through figurative language, opens new possibilities for engaging international travelers.”

The implications of this research extend beyond tourism marketing to local branding efforts. Municipal governments and tourism organizations can utilize generative AI to express regional identity and distinctiveness through figurative language, potentially enhancing destination appeal and inspiring stronger travel intentions among both domestic and international tourists.

Professor Tae Hyun Baek is a leading scholar in digital advertising, artificial intelligence and consumer behavior, and media technology. He has published over 61 papers in internationally renowned journals and currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Advertising Research (SSCI) and the Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising (ESCI, Scopus).

Baek, T. H., Kim, H. J., & Kim, J. (2025). AI-generated recommendations: Roles of language style, perceived AI human-likeness, and recommendation agent. International Journal of Hospitality Management,126, 104106.