Presenting an Influencer Marketing Model for Attracting Tourists in Iran's Tourism Industry

The purpose of this study is to design an influencer marketing model for attracting tourists in Iran's tourism industry. Given the research objectives, this study is an applied-developmental research. Adopting a qualitative approach and utilizing thematic analysis, an effort was made to propose the intended model. The qualitative study participants include theoretical experts (faculty members specializing in management and marketing at universities). The criterion for selecting the qualitative sample population was faculty members holding a PhD degree with expertise and teaching experience in marketing. Additionally, practical experts, including managers and experts from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, were also considered. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling methods was employed. The sample size in the qualitative phase was determined by theoretical saturation, meaning that interviews with theoretical and practical experts continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The saturation point was achieved after conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 experts. Data collection in the qualitative phase was conducted through semi-structured interviews. To ensure the reliability of the qualitative research phase and theoretical saturation, the agreement matrix test and a dual-coder reliability chart were used. The model design and identification of main and sub-themes were carried out using Maxqda 2020 software. Based on the findings, the main themes of the influencer marketing model for attracting tourists in Iran’s tourism industry consist of seven key components: identifying and selecting appropriate influencers, producing and disseminating engaging content, creating targeted campaigns, enhancing audience engagement, utilizing innovative marketing technologies, emphasizing Iran's competitive advantages, and measuring and evaluating marketing effectiveness.