คนดังในฐานะกลไกแห่งซอฟต์พาวเวอร์: บทบาทของลลิสา มโนบาล (ลิซ่า)  ในฐานะทูต ‘Amazing Thailand’ ในการสร้างภาพลักษณ์ประเทศ  สร้างความผูกพันทางสังคม และกระตุ้นความตั้งใจในการท่องเที่ยวระหว่างประเทศ

Chotika Punpookboon

Authors

Chotika Punpookboon Aviation Business Management, Faculty of Management Science, Panyapiwat Institute of Management

Keywords:

tourism soft power, global celebrities, socio-psychological mechanisms

Abstract

This conceptual paper examines global celebrities as mechanisms of tourism soft power, shifting the focus from outcome-based evaluations of celebrity endorsement to a process-oriented explanation of cultural influence. Integrating soft power theory, celebrity endorsement, symbolic meaning transfer, and parasocial relationship perspectives, the study develops a conceptual framework explaining how national cultural meanings are transmitted from the macro level to individual perception and international travel intention. Celebrities are reconceptualized not merely as marketing tools but as socio-psychological intermediaries who translate national narratives into emotionally meaningful representations. Symbolic meanings are transferred from celebrities to destinations and national images, while parasocial bonds and transnational fandom networks strengthen audience engagement and identification. Using the case of Lalisa Manobal (LISA) as the “Amazing Thailand” Ambassador, the paper illustrates how a global celebrity can function as a symbolic bridge connecting Thai identity with global popular culture, thereby enhancing accessibility and reducing cultural distance. The study contributes a mechanism-based framework to tourism and soft power scholarship and offers policy-relevant insights for leveraging celebrities in long-term cultural and destination branding strategies.

Author Biography

Chotika Punpookboon, Aviation Business Management, Faculty of Management Science, Panyapiwat Institute of Management

Aviation Business Management, Faculty of Management Science, Panyapiwat Institute of Management

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