Instagram Aesthetics and Tourist Behavior: Shaping Destination Choice and Satisfaction in Pune and Goa

Instagrammable tourism has intensified the role of visual social media in shaping how travelers imagine and evaluate destinations, with Instagram aesthetics becoming a powerful cue for desirability and status. Within this context, this study examines how Instagram-based social media aesthetics influence destination choice and post-visit guest satisfaction for two Indian leisure destinations (Pune and Goa). Using a cross-sectional survey of leisure travelers exposed to Instagram content about these destinations, this study applies a structured questionnaire and variance-based structural equation modeling to test a model linking perceived aesthetics, destination choice, and satisfaction. The results show that perceived social media aesthetics, encompassing visual quality, uniqueness, and authenticity, significantly increase the likelihood of choosing Pune or Goa over alternative destinations. In turn, both perceived aesthetics and the resulting destination choice positively predict guest satisfaction, indicating that visually driven expectations and the act of choosing an “Instagrammable” destination jointly shape post-visit evaluation. These findings highlight Instagram aesthetics as a strategic lever for tourism marketers seeking to influence travelers’ destinations and post-stay satisfaction.