The Role Of Influencers in Shaping Travel behaviour among Genz- A case study of Airbnb

Abstract

This study examines how social media influencer attributes shape the travel behaviour and booking intention of Generation Z, focusing on Airbnb as a platform-based accommodation provider. The objective is to determine whether perceived credibility, authenticity, and content quality of influencers significantly affect Gen Z’s intention to book through Airbnb. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 104 Gen Z social media users from India and Malaysia who are exposed to travel-related influencer content and familiar with online accommodation platforms. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, and simple linear regression to test the relationship between influencer attributes and booking intention. The results indicate that influencer attributes have a positive and statistically significant effect on Gen Z’s booking intention toward Airbnb, explaining a substantial proportion of variance in the outcome. The findings support the view that influencers act as trusted, peer-like information sources rather than traditional advertisers for this cohort. The study concludes that influencer marketing is an effective tool for engaging Gen Z in the digital travel ecosystem. It suggests that Airbnb and similar platforms should prioritise authentic, experience-based collaborations with credible influencers to strengthen trust and increase booking likelihood among young travellers.