01.01.2025 - 30.12.2025
Digital technologies are increasingly shaping our consumer behavior. With the introduction of virtual influencers, new areas of research are opening up regarding the impact of AI-driven personas on the travel behavior of international tourists.
The project examines how virtual influencers—as anthropomorphic, computer-generated characters—affect the perceptions, attitudes, and decision-making of potential tourists. The focus is on psychological mechanisms such as trust, parasocial interaction, and credibility, as well as differences between source markets such as the United States and South Africa.
This empirical-quantitative study provides insights relevant to tourism practice regarding the potential and limitations of VIs in tourism advertising.
The project examines the influence of virtual influencers (VIs) on the behavior of international tourists. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of how VIs shape tourists’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. The findings are intended to provide tourism stakeholders and policymakers with insights into the mechanisms through which digital factors influence travelers’ consumption behavior.
The study has the following specific objectives:
Research in Economics, Environment, and Society: TREES; North-West University (NWU), Potchefstroom.
