The roles of Instagram travel influencers’ expertise and destination brand content aesthetics in fostering positive WOM: a comprehensive model

Purpose This study aims to examine how Instagram travel influencers’ expertise and destination brand content aesthetics influence destination brand love, which in turn drives brand sacredness, fidelity and positive word of mouth (+WOM), amid ongoing debates on the role of consumer dis/satisfaction in WOM communication. Design/methodology/approach An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used. The quantitative phase involved a two-wave online survey (n = 536) with convenience sampling, analyzed via covariance-based structural equation modeling in SmartPLS4. In the qualitative phase, semistructured interviews with 27 purposively selected participants were conducted, and thematic analysis was performed using NVivo14 to enrich the survey findings. Findings This study identified Instagram travel influencers’ expertise and brand content aesthetics as key drivers of brand love. Brand love positively correlated with brand sacredness, which, in turn, boosted brand fidelity and +WOM. In addition, brand fidelity enhanced +WOM. Practical implications This study offers valuable insights that can be used to optimize strategies, benefiting both social media platforms and destination brands. Originality/value This study integrates the source credibility model, dual process theory and relationship maintenance triad to develop and test a research model, enhancing the understanding of travel influencers and content aesthetics in +WOM.