When Virtual Influencers Feel Real: The Role of Social Presence in Shaping Mimetic Desire and Behavioral Intentions

Purpose - This study positions social presence as one of the defining attributes of virtual influencers and examines its implications for tourism marketing. Specifically, the current study explores how virtual influencers’ social presence shapes prospective tourists’ perceptions (i.e., enjoyment, flow, perceived usefulness, and trust) and, in turn, how these perceptions drive mimetic desire and subsequent behavioral intentions. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected via an online survey targeting Generation Z respondents in the United States. After the data screening process, 266 responses were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were utilized to analyze the data. Findings - The findings of this study revealed that social presence exerts a strong positive effect on enjoyment, flow, perceived usefulness, and trust, highlighting its central role in shaping user experience with virtual influencers. Furthermore, enjoyment and flow were found to significantly increase mimetic desire, which subsequently exerted a strong positive effect on behavioral intentions. In contrast, perceived usefulness and trust did not have a significant impact on mimetic desire. Research implications or Originality - Overall, this study advances theoretical understanding of how social presence drives mimetic desire and behavioral intentions in virtual influencer marketing, offering actionable insights for tourism practitioners seeking to design emotionally resonant, presence-driven digital experiences.