Travel influencers in tourism and hospitality: a narrative review and future research agenda

Despite growing scholarly interest, research on travel influencers remains partial and fragmented. As the field evolves, a comprehensive overview of the existing literature on the topic is urgently needed. This study aims to provide a systematic, critical, and holistic review of the travel influencer literature in tourism and hospitality. A total of 88 papers related to travel influencers were collected. A content analysis and a quantitative systematic review were performed to identify key themes, theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and research gaps. Based on these analyses, an integrative framework for understanding travel influencers was then developed, incorporating antecedents, mediators, moderators, and consequences. Future research directions are proposed to highlight emerging and untapped theoretical, methodological, and thematic areas related to travel influencers. The study also outlines practical implications for industry practitioners to better understand the complexity of travel influencer marketing.