Unveiling customer intentions: exploring factors driving engagement with hospitality virtual influencers

In the dynamic realm of influencer marketing, hospitality virtual influencers (HVIs) are emerging as a prominent player. Grounded in Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, this study explores the factors influencing users' intention to adhere to HVIs recommendations. Data were collected from a cohort of 290 participants through an online crowdsourcing platform. SmartPLS were used to run SEM, mediation and moderation analysis. Results indicate that the intention to follow HVIs recommendations is positively affected by interest fit, perceived credibility, and virtual flow experience. Mimetic desire mediates the relationship between homophily, virtual flow experience, and intention to follow recommendations. Moreover, charisma significantly moderates the relationship between interest fit, perceived anthropomorphism, and mimetic desire. Furthermore, parasocial relationships significantly moderate the association between perceived anthropomorphism and mimetic desire. The study provides practical insights that are valuable for hospitality brands to leverage HVIs in their marketing strategies, ultimately enhancing overall user engagement.