Travel bloggers, responsible tourism, and sustainable mobility: the role of influencer–product congruence in promoting electric transportation use in tourism settings

In Vietnam, social media influencers shape public engagement with sustainable consumption and travel. This study examined whether travel influencers can promote sustainable transportation products, specifically electric cars. A survey of 1,365 participants compared travel bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, and brand-generated posts. Travel influencers showed higher congruence with sustainable mobility messages. They also mitigated post scepticism more effectively than lifestyle bloggers, although not more effectively than brand posts. They generated stronger emotional connectedness than both comparison conditions and stronger perceived salience than lifestyle bloggers. Higher influencer-product congruence was associated with stronger intentions to use electric transportation in travel settings. The study links influencer-product congruence to responsible tourism communication. It also offers practical guidance for destination marketers and mobility providers.