Interaction effects of virtual influencers and advertising appeals on the intention to visit a tourist destination

Four experimental studies were hereby conducted to explore the interaction effects between virtual influencer type (human-like vs. cartoon-like) and advertising appeal type (competence vs. warmth) on consumers’ visit intention. Findings revealed that human-like virtual influencers paired with competence-focused messages and cartoon-like virtual influencers matched with warmth-focused messages higher levels of consumers’ visit intention. Perceived diagnosticity was identified as a mediating variable underlying the observed interaction effects. Moreover, the moderating role of thinking styles was also investigated. Collectively, this research highlights the critical role of strategically pairing virtual influencers with appropriate advertising appeals to optimize destination marketing effectiveness.