The Role of Social Media Influencer Transparency in Building Tourist Trust: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Authors

  • Mohammed Almohammed Business Management Department, Management & Science University
  • Forbis Ahamed
  • Omar Salem Obeidat

Keywords:

Social Media Influencers, Transparency, Tourist Trust, Saudi Arabia, Digital Tourism Marketing

Abstract

This research examines the correlation between social media influencer transparency and tourist trust in the context of Saudi Arabian tourism, aiming to fill significant gaps in the comprehension of digital marketing efficacy in non-Western cultural environments. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were gathered from 550 Saudi domestic tourists who actively interact with travel influencers in key tourism areas such as Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province. The study analyzed five principal influencer attributes—expertise, attractiveness, aesthetics, informativeness, and interaction—and their influence on tourist trust and subsequent travel behavior. Structural equation modeling results demonstrated that interaction was the most significant predictor of tourist trust (β = 0.36, p < 0.001), markedly exceeding conventional credibility metrics such as expertise (β = 0.12, p < 0.001) and attractiveness (β = 0.13, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that trust functions as a vital mechanism connecting influencer characteristics to actual tourist behavior, with interaction exhibiting the most significant mediation effect (VAF = 0.37). These results contest established beliefs regarding influencer credibility by emphasizing the superiority of genuine engagement over perceived expertise in the Saudi tourism sector. The study enhances Source Credibility Theory in non-Western contexts and offers practical guidance for tourism marketers formulating culturally tailored digital marketing strategies in accordance with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 tourism development objectives.

 

References

1. Alamer, M. (2023). The role of social media influencers in Saudis’ domestic destination choice [Doctoral dissertation]. University of North Texas. https://doi.org/10.12794/metadc2179293

2. Aldossary, N., Alzahrani, A., Alghamdi, J., Alqahtany, A., Jamil, R., & Alyami, S. (2022). A procedural framework to identify critical indicators for the protection of environment and ecosystem during sustainable urban development in south-western Saudi Arabia. Sustainability, 15(1), 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010195

3. Al-Gasawneh, J., & Al-Adamat, A. (2020). The relationship between perceived destination image, social media interaction and travel intentions relating to NEOM city. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 19(2), 529.Alhajri, W., & Pierce, B. (2022). Saudi women's attitudes toward advocacy for women's rights. Affilia, 38(1), 111–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/08861099221113878

4. Alnajim, R. (2023). A tourist-based framework for developing digital marketing for small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. Data, 8(12), 179. https://doi.org/10.3390/data8120179

5. Alnasser, A., Al-Tawfiq, J., Al Kalif, M., Alobaysi, A., Al Mubarak, M., Alturki, H., Alharbi, A., Albahrani, R., Alatef Sultan, S., & AlHamad, A. (2020). The positive impact of social media on the level of COVID-19 awareness in Saudi Arabia: A web-based cross-sectional survey. Le Infezioni in Medicina, 28(4), 545–550.

6. Alsakkaf, M., Mohaidin, Z., & Iskandar, Y. (2020). Residents' perceptions toward support for tourism development in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Industrial Management, 7, 60–64. https://doi.org/10.15282/ijim.7.0.2020.5755

7. Alwafi, H., Alwafi, R., Naser, A. Y., Samannodi, M., Aboraya, D., Salawati, E., Alqurashi, A., Ekram, R., Alzahrani, A. R., Aldhahir, A. M., Assaggaf, H., & Almatrafi, M. (2022). The impact of social media influencers on food consumption in Saudi Arabia, a cross-sectional web-based survey. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 15, 2129–2139. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S384523

8. Alyoubi, H. (2024). The opportunities and challenges of creating a tourism destination: A case study of future tourism possibilities in Saudi Arabia. Journal of the Future of Social Sciences, 16(3), 51–72. https://doi.org/10.21608/fjssj.2024.260947.1202

9. Anuar, F. I., Zaid, A., Zabidi, I. Z., & Kamal, S. N. (2021). Young tourists’ trust in Instagram travel influencers and their intention to visit travel destinations. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(16), 304-317.‏

10. Belanche, D., Casaló, L. V., Flavián, M., & Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2021). Building influencers’ credibility on Instagram: Effects on followers' attitudes and behavioral responses toward the influencer. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61, 102585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102585

11. Belanche, D., Flavián, M., & Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2020). Followers' reactions to influencers' Instagram posts. Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC, 24(1), 37-54. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-11-2019-0100

12. Fu, T., Li, S., Xu, J., Liu, M., & Chen, G. (2023). Examining tour guide humor as a driver of tourists' positive word of mouth: A comprehensive mediation model. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 35(5), 1824-1843. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2022-0587

13. Han, J., & Chen, H. (2022). Millennial social media users' intention to travel: The moderating role of social media influencer following behavior. International Hospitality Review, 36(2), 340-357. https://doi.org/10.1108/IHR-11-2020-0069

14. Helal, E. A., Hassan, T. H., Abdelmoaty, M. A., Salem, A. E., Saleh, M. I., Helal, M. Y., Abuelnasr, M. S., Mohamoud, Y. A., Abdou, A. H., Radwan, S. H., & Szabo-Alexi, P. (2023). Exploration or Exploitation of a Neighborhood Destination: The Role of Social Media Content on the Perceived Value and Trust and Revisit Intention among World Cup Football Fans. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 16(3), 210. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm16030210

15. Hu, J., Wang, H., Li, L., & Guo, L. (2023). How travel vlog audience members become tourists: Exploring audience involvement and travel intention. Computers in Human Behavior, 152, 108045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.108045

16. Ki, C. W., Chow, T. C., & Li, C. (2023). Bridging the trust gap in influencer marketing: Ways to sustain consumers' trust and assuage their distrust in the social media influencer landscape. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 39(17), 3445-3460. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2022.2097785

17. Kwiatek, P., Baltezarević, R., & Papakonstantinidis, S. (2021). The impact of credibility of influencers' recommendations on social media on consumers' behavior towards brands. Informatologia, 54(3-4), 181-196. https://doi.org/10.32914/i.54.3-4.5

18. Liu, J., Wang, C., Zhang, T., & Qiao, H. (2023). Delineating the effects of social media marketing activities on Generation Z travel behaviors. Journal of Travel Research, 62(5), 1140-1158. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875221106394

19. Pop, R. A., Săplăcan, Z., Dabija, D. C., & Alt, M. A. (2021). The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions: The role of trust in consumer decision journey. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(5), 823-843. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1895729

20. Raafat, M., Montaser, N., & Soliman, D. (2023). The impact of social media influencer's credibility on the travel intentions of the Egyptian Millennials: Applied to domestic tourism. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 47(2), 656-663. https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.47234-1066

21. Serman, Z. E., & Sims, J. (2023). Source credibility theory: SME hospitality sector blog posting during the Covid-19 pandemic. Information Systems Frontiers, 25(6), 2317-2334.‏ https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-022-10349-3

22. Shah, Z., & Wei, L. (2022). Source credibility and the information quality matter in public engagement on social networking sites during the COVID-19 crisis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 882705. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.882705

23. Shiau, W. L., Zhou, M., & Liu, C. (2022). Understanding the formation mechanism of consumers' behavioral intention on Double 11 shopping carnival: Integrating S-O-R and ELM theories. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 984272. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.984272

24. Shwe, K. C. (2024). Social media marketing, destination image and travel intention in Mandalay Zone (Kyi Cin Shwe, 2024) (Doctoral dissertation).‏ MERAL Portal.

25. Wang, H., & Yan, J. (2022). Effects of social media tourism information quality on destination travel intention: Mediation effect of self-congruity and trust. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1049149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1049149

26. Yuan, S., & Lou, C. (2020). How social media influencers foster relationships with followers: The roles of source credibility and fairness in parasocial relationship and product interest. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 20(2), 133-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2020.1769514

Additional Files

Published

2026-04-15

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): ongoing

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Dynamics

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.