Influence Of Social Media Influencers On Tourism Choices And Hotel Bookings

Ranjit Kumar; Ayush Saxena; Aastha Singh

doi:10.69968/ijisem.2026v5i1138-145

Authors

Ranjit Kumar Ph.D. in Tourism and Hotel Management, India
Ayush Saxena Assistant Professor, School of Hotel Management and Tourism, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
Aastha Singh Research Scholar, N.W.I.M.S.R, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2026v5i1138-145

Keywords:

Social Media Influencers (SMIs), Consumer Perceptions, Social Media Platforms, Influencer Marketing, Hospitality Industry

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital technology and social media platforms has had a great influence on the marketing practice in the tourism and hospitality sector. This is a review paper that focuses on how social media influencers (SMIs) affect tourism decisions and hotel booking behavior through the synthesis of previous studies and analytical research. The research examines the concept and the role of the influencers, the rise of the influencer marketing as a sub-discipline in the tourism sector, and its effect on the destination image development, travel intentions, and accommodation selection. Results suggest that influencer credibility, authenticity, style of communication, and brand alignment have a significant impact on consumer perceptions and interest, especially in Millennials and Generation Z, whereas platform-specific and psychological variables are emotional connection and FOMO, which further boost travel motivation. Nevertheless, the fact that booking-decisions are still affected by the price, location, and online-reviews. The review concludes that it is necessary to have transparent, strategically formulated and value-compliant influencer partnerships that can improve tourism demand, hotel bookings and the sustainable competitive advantage.

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