A new academic study reveals that co-creation between travel influencers and their audiences measurably enhances customer experience, significantly transforming the way travelers experience destinations at every stage of their journey.
The study, “Influencers as Brand Architects: Co-Creation and Customer Experience in Tourism,” conducted by researchers from the University of West Attica and University of Patras in Greece, analyzed data from 538 active social media users to measure how co-creation transforms tourism experiences.
When researchers introduced co-creation as a moderating variable, the model’s explanatory power for customer experience increased from 20.9% to 34.3%. This marked increase provides evidence for what drives positive travel experiences.
According to the study, “Co-creation refers to the collaborative process between firms and consumers in which value is generated. This concept is especially important in the digital era.” The researchers further explain that “In the co-creation paradigm, the client is not only a passive recipient of the marketing message, but rather an engaged participant who not only interprets the information, but actively modifies and sometimes challenges the narratives being sent by the influencer.”
The effect size (f² of 0.203) calculated as [0.343−0.209]/[1−0.343] = 0.203, indicates that co-creation has a moderate to strong influence on the relationship between customer journey stages and customer experience, according to the thresholds established in the research methodology.
How Co-Creation Transforms Each Travel Stage
The study offers a detailed analysis of how co-creation influences travelers throughout their entire journey, with statistically significant impacts at each stage.
During the pre-travel stage (path coefficient 0.159, p = 0.012), co-creation enhances travelers’ engagement with planning content. The researchers note that “co-creation activities moderate the relationship between pre-travel behaviour and customer experience,” indicating that engagement with influencers during preparation phases leads to stronger customer experiences.
The co-creation effect intensifies during the travel experience itself (path coefficient 0.229, p < 0.001), showing its strongest impact when travelers are actively experiencing destinations. As the study states, “co-creation had a notable moderating effect on the relationship between travel behaviour and customer experience.”
Even after returning home, co-creation continues to shape the post-travel experience (path coefficient 0.166, p = 0.010). The researchers confirmed that co-creation “moderates the relationship between post-trip behaviour and customer experience.”
The study directly states that “The findings highlight that co-creation accelerates bonds, increases memory retention, and the likelihood of recommendation.” It emphasizes that “When travelers interact with content, they are not merely following instructions, they are crafting their own story.”
From Content Broadcasting to Experience Development
This research builds on established theoretical frameworks while providing new empirical evidence. The study explicitly references Co-Creation Theory as articulated by Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2004), noting it is “essential to understanding consumer-influencer interactions.”
The researchers position their findings within service-dominant logic, stating that this perspective “suggests that value is co-created collaboratively by firms and customers rather than delivered unilaterally,” and that “customer involvement can amplify the effects of antecedent variables on key outcomes, particularly in experiential settings.”
The study also references earlier research by Zhang et al. (2017), which examined “The experience value co-creation process: the case of tourism online platforms” and showed that, even before travel, customers co-create their experiences. The current research extends this understanding by examining the specific moderating role of co-creation across all stages of travel.
Practical Applications for Tourism Stakeholders
Based on the study’s findings, there are important implications for tourism marketing. The researchers suggest that influencers should adapt their approaches to better facilitate co-creation.
The research notes that in the pre-travel stage, “influencers should focus on creating content that is both inspirational and informative,” while during travel, “real-time interaction is essential.” For the post-travel stage, the researchers suggest approaches that encourage reflection and sharing.
For tourism brands and destination organizations, the study recommends moving “from mere sponsorship to co-creation strategies,” involving approaches that foster communication and emotional connections. The researchers emphasize that the pre-travel stage deserves particular attention because “the influencer’s impact is at its peak” during this planning phase.
Measuring Co-Creation’s Impact
The study suggests that traditional metrics for evaluating influencer effectiveness may need reconsideration in light of the importance of co-creation. The findings indicate that an influencer’s ability to foster engagement may be more valuable than their reach.
According to the research, “Customer active participation in creating their experience enhances perceived value and satisfaction,” suggesting that engagement quality matters more than quantity. The study demonstrates that co-creation strategies “strengthen the relationship between travel stage behaviours and customer experience.”
Future Directions and Research Context
The researchers acknowledge certain limitations in their approach and suggest directions for future research. They recommend that “future research should combine digital platform data with qualitative insights” to gain a more thorough understanding of co-creation effects.
They suggest exploring variations “across cultural groups or generations” and examining how “the same influencers on various platforms co-create value independently.” These recommendations highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of co-creation dynamics in various contexts.
The study concludes that in contemporary tourism marketing, success increasingly depends on participatory approaches. As the researchers state, “The key message is clear, brands and influencers should foster dialogue instead of monologue to create memorable experiences.”
Source: Chatzopoulou, Evi & Poulis, Athanasios & Rizomyliotis, Ioannis & Konstantoulaki, Kleopatra. (2025). “Influencers as Brand Architects: Co-Creation and Customer Experience in Tourism”. Review of Marketing Science. 10.1515/roms-2025-0070. The full study is available here.
Nii A. Ahene is the founder and managing director of Net Influencer, a website dedicated to offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Together with its newsletter, Influencer Weekly, Net Influencer provides news, commentary, and analysis of the events shaping the creator and influencer marketing space. Through interviews with startups, influencers, brands, and platforms, Nii and his team explore how influencer marketing is being effectively used to benefit businesses and personal brands alike.
A new academic study reveals that co-creation between travel influencers and their audiences measurably enhances customer experience, significantly transforming the way travelers experience destinations at every stage of their journey.
The study, “Influencers as Brand Architects: Co-Creation and Customer Experience in Tourism,” conducted by researchers from the University of West Attica and University of Patras in Greece, analyzed data from 538 active social media users to measure how co-creation transforms tourism experiences.
When researchers introduced co-creation as a moderating variable, the model’s explanatory power for customer experience increased from 20.9% to 34.3%. This marked increase provides evidence for what drives positive travel experiences.
According to the study, “Co-creation refers to the collaborative process between firms and consumers in which value is generated. This concept is especially important in the digital era.” The researchers further explain that “In the co-creation paradigm, the client is not only a passive recipient of the marketing message, but rather an engaged participant who not only interprets the information, but actively modifies and sometimes challenges the narratives being sent by the influencer.”
The effect size (f² of 0.203) calculated as [0.343−0.209]/[1−0.343] = 0.203, indicates that co-creation has a moderate to strong influence on the relationship between customer journey stages and customer experience, according to the thresholds established in the research methodology.
How Co-Creation Transforms Each Travel Stage
The study offers a detailed analysis of how co-creation influences travelers throughout their entire journey, with statistically significant impacts at each stage.
During the pre-travel stage (path coefficient 0.159, p = 0.012), co-creation enhances travelers’ engagement with planning content. The researchers note that “co-creation activities moderate the relationship between pre-travel behaviour and customer experience,” indicating that engagement with influencers during preparation phases leads to stronger customer experiences.
The co-creation effect intensifies during the travel experience itself (path coefficient 0.229, p < 0.001), showing its strongest impact when travelers are actively experiencing destinations. As the study states, “co-creation had a notable moderating effect on the relationship between travel behaviour and customer experience.”
Even after returning home, co-creation continues to shape the post-travel experience (path coefficient 0.166, p = 0.010). The researchers confirmed that co-creation “moderates the relationship between post-trip behaviour and customer experience.”
The study directly states that “The findings highlight that co-creation accelerates bonds, increases memory retention, and the likelihood of recommendation.” It emphasizes that “When travelers interact with content, they are not merely following instructions, they are crafting their own story.”
From Content Broadcasting to Experience Development
This research builds on established theoretical frameworks while providing new empirical evidence. The study explicitly references Co-Creation Theory as articulated by Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2004), noting it is “essential to understanding consumer-influencer interactions.”
The researchers position their findings within service-dominant logic, stating that this perspective “suggests that value is co-created collaboratively by firms and customers rather than delivered unilaterally,” and that “customer involvement can amplify the effects of antecedent variables on key outcomes, particularly in experiential settings.”
The study also references earlier research by Zhang et al. (2017), which examined “The experience value co-creation process: the case of tourism online platforms” and showed that, even before travel, customers co-create their experiences. The current research extends this understanding by examining the specific moderating role of co-creation across all stages of travel.
Practical Applications for Tourism Stakeholders
Based on the study’s findings, there are important implications for tourism marketing. The researchers suggest that influencers should adapt their approaches to better facilitate co-creation.
The research notes that in the pre-travel stage, “influencers should focus on creating content that is both inspirational and informative,” while during travel, “real-time interaction is essential.” For the post-travel stage, the researchers suggest approaches that encourage reflection and sharing.
For tourism brands and destination organizations, the study recommends moving “from mere sponsorship to co-creation strategies,” involving approaches that foster communication and emotional connections. The researchers emphasize that the pre-travel stage deserves particular attention because “the influencer’s impact is at its peak” during this planning phase.
Measuring Co-Creation’s Impact
The study suggests that traditional metrics for evaluating influencer effectiveness may need reconsideration in light of the importance of co-creation. The findings indicate that an influencer’s ability to foster engagement may be more valuable than their reach.
According to the research, “Customer active participation in creating their experience enhances perceived value and satisfaction,” suggesting that engagement quality matters more than quantity. The study demonstrates that co-creation strategies “strengthen the relationship between travel stage behaviours and customer experience.”
Future Directions and Research Context
The researchers acknowledge certain limitations in their approach and suggest directions for future research. They recommend that “future research should combine digital platform data with qualitative insights” to gain a more thorough understanding of co-creation effects.
They suggest exploring variations “across cultural groups or generations” and examining how “the same influencers on various platforms co-create value independently.” These recommendations highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of co-creation dynamics in various contexts.
The study concludes that in contemporary tourism marketing, success increasingly depends on participatory approaches. As the researchers state, “The key message is clear, brands and influencers should foster dialogue instead of monologue to create memorable experiences.”
Source: Chatzopoulou, Evi & Poulis, Athanasios & Rizomyliotis, Ioannis & Konstantoulaki, Kleopatra. (2025). “Influencers as Brand Architects: Co-Creation and Customer Experience in Tourism”. Review of Marketing Science. 10.1515/roms-2025-0070.
The full study is available here.
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