How social media tourism influencers induce gastronomic tourists and their sustainable consumption behavior?

Purpose Social media and influencer marketing not only promote tourism and incite tourists to destinations but also help promote and shape consumers' perception, attitudes, and behavior towards sustainable consumption. This study investigates the relationships between social media tourism influencers (SMTIs) induced gastronomic tourists, sustainability perception, memorable local food consumption experiences, and travel inspiration, and their effects on sustainable consumption behavior. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a structural equation model to analyze data from 936 foreign tourists who visited Phuket, Thailand's UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Findings This study found that SMTIs positively impacted tourists' sustainability perception, memorable local food consumption experience, and travel inspiration. Furthermore, tourists' memorable local food consumption experiences, travel inspiration and sustainability perception positively influenced sustainable consumption behavior. Interestingly, sustainability perception, memorable local food consumption experiences, and travel inspiration indirectly mediated the relationships between SMTIs-induced gastronomic tourists and sustainable consumption behavior. Practical implications The revelation of this study on the relationships between SMTIs and those factors impacting tourists' sustainable consumption behavior is extremely beneficial to tourism destination management organizations, relevant stakeholders, and policymakers in determining the guidelines of influencer marketing applications to facilitate tourists' sustainable consumption behaviors through gastronomic tourism and in achieving UNSDGs 8 and 12. Originality/value This study theoretically intensifies the knowledge of how gastronomic tourists' memorable local food consumption experiences, travel inspiration and sustainability perception can directly and indirectly assimilate sustainable consumption behavior induced by SMTIs.