Structural Equation Model of Emotional Attachment and Influencer Attributes Affecting Decisions of Thai Millennial Tourists in Purchasing Tourism Products and Services
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Abstract
Major businesses in the tourism industry leverage influencer marketing to advertise, review products, and recommend products and services to enhance brand visibility. This research is a quantitative study that aims to analyze the emotional attachment patterns between influencers and the purchasing decisions of Thai millennial tourists regarding tourism products and services. The data were collected through a questionnaire from 415 Thai millennial tourists using simple random sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were applied. The study identified five forms in which emotional attachment influences the decision to purchase tourism products and services: 1) the influencers’ credibility and the enthusiasm of Thai millennial tourists; 2) the empathy of Thai millennial tourists and the psychology of influencers; 3) the attractiveness of Thai millennial tourists and the expertise of influencers; 4) the empathy of Thai millennial tourists and the enthusiasm of Thai millennial tourists; and 5) the expertise of influencers and the psychology of influencers. The elements of influencers that affect the purchase of tourism products and services can be categorized into three forms: the elements of influencers are related to emotional attachment (SMI = emotional); 2) to the relationship with the purchase of tourism products and services (SMI > Purchase); and 3) the emotional attachment is related to the purchase of tourism products and services. In addition, the harmony was found between the model from the conceptual framework and the empirical data. The model can be used to design tourism marketing activities to enable Thai millennial tourists to purchase tourism products and services.
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