Determinants of Digital Marketing Effectiveness for Sustainable Tourism Industry in Malaysia

Abstract

This study examines what drives the effectiveness of a digital marketing model for Malaysia's sustainable tourism industry. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model and sustainability principles, it tests five factors: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived cost, greater return, and efficiency. Survey data from 261 tourism-sector respondents were analysed in SPSS. All five variables correlated positively and significantly with sustainable tourism adoption (p < 0.001), with efficiency showing the strongest relationship (r = 0.808). The regression model was statistically significant (F = 103.703, p < 0.001) and explained 67% of the variance (R² = 0.670). Preliminary diagnostic checks showed only minor deviations from normality; given the sample size (N = 261) and the tolerance of multiple regression to modest departures from normality, the data were treated as suitable for parametric analysis. The study extends the Technology Acceptance Model to a sustainable tourism setting, validates the key determinants of digital adoption empirically, and gives policymakers and industry stakeholders a data-driven basis for digital transformation and long-term sustainability planning in Malaysia's tourism sector.