Tourism live streamers as brand ambassadors: investigating their impact on destination brand value through social exchange theory

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify the key characteristics of tourism live streamers (TLSers) that influence target consumers and examine how these characteristics enhance destination brand value by stimulating consumer emotional engagement and value co-creation behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was conducted with 552 respondents who had viewed tourism live streaming in China. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results revealed that TLSers’ expertise had the strongest influence on consumers and positively affected their attachment, trust, participation and citizenship behaviors and perceived destination brand value. Attractiveness and trustworthiness exerted positive but weaker effects on these variables.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the theoretical development of live-streaming research by demonstrating the distinct impacts of TLSer characteristics. Furthermore, this study expands the application of the social exchange theory and value co-creation in tourism research.

研究目的

本研究旨在确定影响目标消费者的旅游直播主（TLSers）的关键特征, 并检验这些特征如何通过激发消费者情感参与和价值共创行为来增强目的地品牌价值。

研究方法

对在中国观看过旅游直播的552名受访者进行了问卷调查, 采用结构方程建模分析数据。

研究发现

研究结果显示, TLSers的专业知识对消费者影响最大, 并积极影响他们的情感依恋、信任、参与和公民行为, 以及感知的目的地品牌价值。吸引力和可信度对这些变量的影响较弱但也是积极的。

研究创新

本研究通过展示TLSer特征的独特影响, 对直播研究的理论发展做出了贡献。此外, 本研究扩展了社会交换理论和价值共创在旅游研究中的应用。

Citation

Xiao, G., Lee, M., Lee, C.-K. and Kim, M. (2024), "Tourism live streamers as brand ambassadors: investigating their impact on destination brand value through social exchange theory", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-11-2023-0371