Role of Social Media Influencers in Tourism Destination Image: How Does Digital Marketing Affect Purchase Intention?

Abstract

This study aimed to measure the influence of social media influencers, destination image, and brand image on the purchase intention of tourists who visited the Bratan Lake, Bedugul, a major tourist attraction. The study population comprised foreign tourists; the sample size was 179. Respondents were selected using the convenience sampling technique. The data was then processed and analyzed using structural equation modeling with PLS software. The results show that social media influencers, destination image, and brand image have a positive and significant effect on purchase intention. Brand image has a higher correlation-coefficient value compared to destination image with regard to purchase intention. This indicates that the manager of a tourism destination should take into account the price paid by tourists for the attributes and the benefits they receive. The three indicators of brand image are quality, track record, and reliability, indicating that tourists will look to fulfill their previously held expectations during and after traveling.