A Study on Impact of Travel Influencers on Tourism Decision-Making

The rapid growth of social media platforms has significantly transformed the tourism industry by reshaping how travelers search for information and make travel-related decisions. Travel influencers, through visually engaging and experience-based content, have emerged as key opinion leaders influencing destination awareness, travel intentions, and booking behavior. This study examines the impact of travel influencers on tourism decision-making from a consumer-centric perspective. The research adopts a descriptive and analytical approach using primary data collected from 150 active social media users who follow travel influencers. Secondary data were gathered from academic journals, tourism reports, and industry publications. Statistical tools such as percentage analysis, regression analysis, and reliability testing were employed to analyze the influence of credibility, trust, and content quality on tourism decisions. The findings reveal that travel influencers play a significant role in shaping destination preferences, travel planning, and visit intentions, particularly among young travelers. However, concerns related to sponsored content credibility and authenticity remain. The study highlights the importance of transparency and trust-building strategies for effective influencer-based tourism marketing.