Social Networking Site Users’ Behavioral Responses Toward Travel Destinations Promoted by Virtual Influencers: A Multiple-Model Comparison Approach
本研究比较了九种理论，发现社会权力理论和准社会互动理论最能解释社交网站用户对虚拟网红推广目的地的访问意愿，对旅游从业者利用虚拟网红吸引社交媒体用户有参考价值。
Virtual influencers (VIs) are a novel, increasingly popular and successful marketing tool in the digital marketing landscape, specifically in the domain of travel destination marketing. However, how social networking site (SNS) users respond to VI marketing in the travel sector remains underexplored. To address this gap, we systematically identified, empirically tested, and compared nine theories to understand the drivers of social networking site users’ visit intentions toward VI-promoted destinations. Using an online survey, we collected responses from 419 active SNS users and analyzed our data using partial least squares structural equation modeling, followed by a qualitative study ( n = 18). Social power theory and parasocial interaction theory exhibited the highest explanatory power. Our research contributes to travel literature through deepening our understanding of the mechanisms by which VIs can influence visit intention, which is important for travel professionals’ understanding of VIs’ use in attracting a demographic that immerses themselves in social media.