How Metaverse Influencers Shape Electronic Word-of-Mouth: Credibility, Attractiveness, and Parasocial Relationships Across Cultures and Gender

Metaverse Influencers (MVIs) are technologically constructed social actors increasingly promoting tourism destinations. However, they continue to be viewed as uncannily or authentically fake, raising questions about whether followers perceive them as credible, form meaningful parasocial relationships with them, and intend to recommend the destinations they endorse. To address these gaps, this study integrated source credibility theory, parasocial relationship theory, and the similarity-attractiveness model and tested a framework linking source credibility and physical attractiveness to e-WOM intentions, with parasocial relationship as the mediator. Using a quantitative design across three cases (main effects/mediation; UK–USA–India; female–male), results showed that parasocial relationships increased e-WOM, and source credibility increased both parasocial relationships and e-WOM. Physical attractiveness did not directly increase e-WOM, but strengthened parasocial relationships, which fully mediated the attractiveness–e-WOM link; mediation was partial for credibility. Only one cross-country difference emerged (attractiveness to e-WOM was stronger in the USA), and one gender difference (attractiveness to parasocial relationship stronger for males). These findings show that the extent to which MVIs influence their followers is not only dependent upon the designed appearance of the MVI itself but also on whether followers perceive them as credible and develop parasocial relationships with them. The study enhances our knowledge of human relationships with synthetic social actors and provides insights into how MVIs should be created to responsibly promote tourism communications.