Travel photography is important to me! The impact of merchants' photo editing behavior on destination clothes rental intention

The rise of travel selfies has fueled the development of destination clothes rental programs, yet there is scant research on this phenomenon. Therefore, this study, grounded in social comparison theory, constructs a model of the complex influence mechanism of merchants' photo editing behavior on tourist clothes rental intention. By employing a mixed-method approach that includes grounded theory and scenario experiments, this study verifies the proposed mechanism. The findings are as follows: first, finely editing photos, as opposed to roughly editing ones, are more likely to inspire tourist clothes rental intention. Second, the differential impact of photo editing behavior on tourist clothes rental intention is less pronounced in arriving at tourism destinations than in social media contexts. Third, cultural factors and individual differences, such as collectivism, face consciousness, and social comparison orientation, moderate the main effects. Fourth, considering tourists' comparative mindset, finely editing photos, compared to roughly editing ones, are more likely to stimulate state appearance comparison, leading to varying degrees of mutability, and ultimately affecting clothes rental intentions. This study contributes to the understanding of how photo editing influences tourist project participation behavior, providing valuable insights for marketers in the destination clothing rental industry.