The Role of Virtual Influencers in Reconstructing Brand Love and Loyalty for Tourism Brands in the Metaverse

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD in Marketing, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Management and Accounting, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 Ph.D. Student in Business Management, Marketing Concentration, Faculty of Economics and Management, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Context and Purpose: This study investigates how digital brand love and loyalty form in the tourism sector through user interactions with virtual influencers in the metaverse. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the present research seeks to understand users’ lived experiences and the emotional–identity dynamics underpinning their relationships with tourism brands in immersive digital environments.
Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with experienced metaverse users, and thematic analysis revealed six core themes: (1) Digital brand love, encompassing passion, intimacy, and commitment—mirroring Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love; (2) Human–avatar co-experience, where shared participation in virtual group events fostered social belonging; (3) Trust and authenticity, showing that culturally grounded, human-like virtual influencers elicited stronger trust; (4) Technology’s role, particularly VR/AR, in enhancing presence and perceived authenticity; (5) Parasocial identity construction, wherein users internalized tourism brands as part of their digital selves; and (6) Loyalty sustainability across cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions.
Findings: Virtual influencers can indeed cultivate deep emotional bonds, but only when they embody cultural authenticity and empathetic engagement, not merely digital aesthetics. Superficial avatars failed to generate lasting attachment, whereas those reflecting local narratives and values resonated powerfully with users.
Conclusion: Tourism brands must design virtual influencers as culturally embedded storytellers, not just visual proxies. Loyalty in the metaverse emerges from meaningful co-creation, emotional resonance, and identity alignment. Managers should integrate local heritage into avatar personas and enable interactive, community-based experiences that bridge virtual engagement with real-world visitation intent.
Originality/value: While existing metaverse research leans heavily on quantitative metrics, this study pioneers a qualitative exploration of users’ subjective experiences. It reveals how brand relationships are emotionally reconstructed in non-physical spaces, offering a theoretically grounded and empirically rich framework for understanding digital brand love; thus, filling a critical gap in both tourism marketing and immersive technology literature.

Keywords

References

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Tourism and hospitality marketing research
Volume 3, Issue 2 - Serial Number 5
Autumn and Winter
September 2025
Pages 293-314

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