The echoes of social media friends’ travels: social influence and venue selection in a hyperconnected world

Xingwei Yang (), Zhibin Lin, Mehdi Kargar and Elmira Djafarova
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Xingwei Yang: Toronto Metropolitan University
Zhibin Lin: Durham University Business School, Durham University
Mehdi Kargar: Toronto Metropolitan University
Elmira Djafarova: Northumbria University

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract This research examines how social media friends influence each other’s travel decisions by investigating the roles of geographic distance and venue type. Through analysis of over 22 million check-ins from 112,000 users across Foursquare and Twitter platforms, we provide unprecedented empirical evidence of how social influence manifests in actual travel behaviors. Our findings reveal two key patterns: social influence diminishes systematically with distance, with friends showing 12% venue overlap for destinations at least 50 km from home, decreasing to 5% at 10,000 km; and influence varies meaningfully across venue categories, with Travel and Transport venues demonstrating the strongest friend overlap. These results extend both social comparison theory and construal level theory by providing large-scale empirical validation of how psychological distance affects social influence in digital travel behavior. This study offers valuable insights for developing personalized travel recommendations and social network-based marketing strategies.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05450-2

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