You are encouraged to attend the defence. The details of the defence and attendance information is included below:  

Date:  October 10, 2025 
Time:  10:00 AM
Defence mode: Remote 
Virtual Attendance: via Zoom
ZOOM Link: Please contact the Office of Graduate Administration for information regarding remote/online attendance. 

To ensure the defence proceeds with no interruptions, please mute your audio and video on entry and do not inadvertently share your screen. The meeting will be locked to entry 5 minutes after it begins: please ensure you are on time.  

Thesis entitled: Exploring the Impacts of Advertisement and Influencer on Tourist Destination Selection: An Empirical Investigation of Cox’s Bazar Tourism in Bangladesh 
  
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of social media advertising (SMA) and influencer endorsements on tourists' destination selection (TDS) for Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, and to determine the moderating role of generational cohorts in these relationships. 
Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a self-administered survey. Data from 202 respondents were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFI=0.95, TLI=0.94, RMSEA=0.06) to validate the measurement model, followed by multiple regression and moderation analysis to test the hypothesized relationships.
Findings: The regression results indicate that both SMA (β = 0.32, p < 0.001) and human influencer (HI) endorsements (β = 0.41, p < 0.001) significantly positively influence TDS. Furthermore, generational cohort significantly moderates these effects: SMA's impact is stronger for Gen Z (SMA×GenCohort: β = 0.12, p = 0.003), while conventional advertising is more effective for older cohorts (CA×GenCohort: β = -0.10, p = 0.001).
Practical implications: Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) should adopt a generationally segmented strategy, prioritizing authentic human influencer partnerships and targeted social media campaigns for younger demographics, while maintaining a presence in conventional media for older tourists. 
Originality/value: This research provides novel empirical evidence from an emerging market context, uniquely integrating the Elaboration Likelihood Model to explain generational differences in processing destination marketing cues, thus filling a critical gap in the literature.

Committee Membership:   
Chair: Dr. David Connell, University of Northern British Columbia  
Supervisor: Dr. Xin Ge, University of Northern British Columbia  
Co-Supervisor: Dr. Kafui Monu, University of Northern British Columbia  
Committee Member: Dr. Leandro Freylejer, University of Northern British Columbia  
External Examiner: Dr. Joanie Crandall, University of Northern British Columbia