INFLUENCER CREDIBILITY AND TRAVEL DECISION-MAKING AMONG YOUNG GEN Z SOCIAL MEDIA USERS IN PENANG

Social media has become a significant influence on consumer decisions worldwide, including decisions about where and how to travel. Drawing on the source credibility model, this study examined the relationship between three influencer credibility dimensions, attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise; and travel decision-making among young Generation Z (Gen Z) social media users in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. A total of 266 respondents aged 18 to 28 were recruited using non-probability purposive sampling, supported by online snowball distribution through university and young-adult networks. Data were collected through a self-administered online questionnaire adapted from established credibility scales and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. All three dimensions correlated positively and significantly with travel decision-making at the bivariate level. In the regression model, the three dimensions jointly explained 54.3 per cent of the variance, F(3, 262) = 103.68, p < .001. Expertise emerged as the strongest predictor (β = .49, p < .001), followed by attractiveness (β = .23, p < .001), while trustworthiness made no significant unique contribution (β = .10, p = .165), a result attributable to its strong correlation with expertise (r = .80). The achieved sample was predominantly female (82.0 percent), aged 18 to 24 (91.7 percent), and not in paid employment (83.8 percent); the findings therefore characterise this specific segment of young, highly engaged Gen Z social media users rather than the Gen Z population of Pulau Pinang as a whole. The study extends understanding of influencer credibility in a Malaysian travel context and indicates that destination marketers targeting young Gen Z audiences should prioritise demonstrable destination knowledge over visual appeal alone.