Title: Examining the impact of Instagram food vloggers on restaurant visit intentions: structural equation modelling approach

Authors: Gunjan Malik; Purvi Saini; Anoop Kumar; Kuldeep Singh

Addresses: Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, Maharshi Dayanand University, Delhi Road, Haryana, India ' Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, Maharshi Dayanand University, Delhi Road, Haryana, India ' Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, Maharshi Dayanand University, Delhi Road, Haryana, India ' Amity School of Hospitality, Amity University, Haryana, India

Abstract: The study involves the impact of Instagram food vloggers on customer intentions to visit restaurants, aiming on the part of credibility, attractiveness, homophily, and parasocial relationships. The research employs a quantitative survey methodology, targeting Instagram users who follow food vloggers. It analyses the collected data using PLS-SEM and SPSS to comprehend relationships between influencer characteristics and restaurant visit intentions. Findings reveal that credibility and parasocial relationships have a significant influence on restaurant visit intentions. Attractiveness, while influential on credibility, does not directly affect visit intentions, highlighting the importance of vlogger-subscriber relationships over superficial traits. The study involves the emerging sector of influencer marketing research by focusing on the food industry and highlighting the paramount importance of credibility and parasocial relationships in influencing consumer behaviour, offering valuable insights for marketers and vloggers alike.

Keywords: Instagram; food vloggers; restaurant; influencer marketing; credibility; homophily.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2025.143556

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2025 Vol.19 No.1, pp.71 - 94

Received: 03 Jul 2024
Accepted: 18 Sep 2024
Published online: 30 Dec 2024 *