ORCID

0000-0002-1292-1769

Keywords

Sustainable Tourism, Digital Influencers, Sustainable Influencers, Social Media, Tourism Marketing

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how digital influencers shape sustainable tourism communication and behavioral intentions through a multi-method research approach. As influencer marketing increasingly drives destination visibility and traveler decision-making, understanding its role in advancing sustainability is essential for aligning economic growth with environmental and social responsibility. To address this gap, two complementary studies were conducted.

Study 1 applied social media content analysis to examine sustainable tourism discourse, identifying trends in topics, message framing and content. The analysis revealed a largely positive and gain-framed conversation, emphasizing lifestyle identity, collective values, and all three pillars of sustainability. Influencer analysis showed that while institutional accounts drive broad visibility, micro-influencers foster authenticity and niche credibility through consistent engagement.

Results indicated that single-message exposures had limited persuasive power, underscoring that influencer followership and perceived credibility, particularly trustworthiness and expertise, were stronger predictors of behavioral intentions. In contrast, self-congruity, or alignment between an individual’s identity and the influencer’s image, best predicted self-reported pro-sustainable behaviors. Additionally, values and personal norms from the Value–Belief–Norm framework significantly shaped both behavioral intentions and actions, while demographic traits were not significant predictors.

Together, the findings advance theory by extending the Source Credibility Model, Self-Congruity Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Model, and Value-Belief-Norm framework to the context of digital sustainability communication. The results demonstrate that influencer persuasion is relational and values-based, rather than message-dependent. Practically, this research underscores the need for long-term, credible, and authentic influencer partnerships that embed sustainability into lifestyle storytelling. From an economic and societal perspective, these insights highlight the opportunity to leverage digital influence for responsible tourism growth, guiding policy frameworks that encourage transparency, ethical collaborations, and the redirection of influencer visibility from overtourism toward sustainable destination stewardship.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Sergio Alvarez

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Department

Tourism, Events, Entertainment and Attractions

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029801

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

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