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Travel influencers and their social identity: a phenomenological approach

Author

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  • Jun Li
  • Songyi Jing
  • Yuanyuan Shang
  • Ang Li
  • Mingming Cheng

Abstract

The role of travel influencers has become increasingly popular, having a significant impact on tourists and tourism businesses. Influencers negotiate and navigate challenges such as content quality and authenticity while fostering a sense of community and influencing industry standards. Little is known, however, about how travel influencers construct their social identities. Based on social identity theory, and by interviewing 19 Chinese travel influencers, this study developed the following three-stage representation of travel influencer social identity construction: ‘transformation’, ‘maintenance’, and ‘identity value presentation’. It makes significant contributions to extant tourism literature by providing unique insights into the construction process associated with the identities of travel influencers.

Suggested Citation

  • Jun Li & Songyi Jing & Yuanyuan Shang & Ang Li & Mingming Cheng, 2026. "Travel influencers and their social identity: a phenomenological approach," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 309-324, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rcitxx:v:29:y:2026:i:2:p:309-324
    DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2024.2419554
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