The Impact of Social Media Influencers on Consumer-Brand Relationship in Tourism

The rise of Web 2.0 has dramatically altered consumer-brand relationships. Social media has enabled consumers to share their consumption experiences and product evaluations in user-generated content. Some content creators, called “influencers,” have differentiated due to their attractiveness, content quality, communication skills, or expertness. Influencer marketing has received growing scholarly attention, parallel to the huge interest of brand executives. Influencer marketing literature has provided evidence that social media influencers have a positive effect on numerous consumer-brand relationship outcomes, such as brand awareness, brand attitude, brand love, and purchase intention. Influencers have great influential power in promoting destination brands and shaping the attitudes and behavior of tourism consumers; however, research in influencer marketing in the tourism context is in its infancy and more scholarly attempts are needed. This chapter aims to address gaps in influencer marketing in the tourism context and review the literature and successful cases in practice. The implications will shed light on how to implement influencer marketing strategies to create a positive impact on consumer-brand relationships in a tourism context.