Crafting Perceptions. Travel Influencers and the Affective Power of Public Transit Narratives in Milan and New York City

The rise of travel influencers in the digital age has redefined how reputation is built, managed, and monetised in the tourism industry. However, we still know little about the role of these figures’ affective labour in urban transformation processes. Building on Gary Alan Fine’s concept of reputational entrepreneurship (Fine, 1996; 2019), this research explores how these influencers actively shape public perceptions and trust in urban transit services. Reputational entrepreneurs are individuals or groups who construct and manage reputations by strategically navigating social and moral landscapes. In this context, travel influencers function as critical actors in promoting or devaluing public transport, crafting narratives that evoke affective responses toward the transit systems of global cities. Drawing on Fine and Keller’s (2021) exploration of social worlds, this study positions travel influencers as key figures within digital micro-publics, particularly those concerned with urban depiction. These influencers build trust and authority through their reputational work, showcasing the efficiency, unreliability, convenience, and dangerousness of public transport. Their affective labour shapes consumer perceptions and guide travel behaviour, particularly among tourists and urban residents who rely on public transportation for their mobility needs (Pop et al., 2022). Through a hybrid ethnography of public transport in Milan (Italy) and New York City (New York, USA), the current research will focus on travel influencers who contribute to the reputational landscape of each city’s transit network. Particularly, it will investigate the ways public transport influencers take part in the construction of collective memories and affective imaginaries of ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) and MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority). Finally, this research will offer valuable insights into the role of these influencers in the broader city’s transformative processes of eventification, touristification, and marginalisation.