When social media meets destination marketing: the mediating role of attachment to social media influencer

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the mediating role of attachment to social media influencer between authenticity and enjoyment and then travel intention while watching social media influencer video. Design/methodology/approachThis study used the survey approach to collect responses from respondents who have watched the social media influencer video. Partial least squares structural equation modeling technique was applied for the data analysis. FindingsThe results indicated that authenticities positively impact tourist attachment to social media influencer, enjoyment and hence visit intention. Attachment to social media influencer mediates the relationships between authenticities and enjoyment. Originality/valueThis study proposes and examines the role of attachment to social media influencers as a mediator between authenticities and tourist responses, which provided meaningful theoretical and practical insights for the future research on social media influencers.