In recent years, virtual influencers have gained significant prominence in digital marketing, yet their impact on consumer behavior, particularly in the tourism sector, remains underexplored. This study investigates the differential effects of virtual influencers and human influencers on consumer emotional responses and behavioral intentions, based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. Specifically, it focuses on the relationships among benign envy, travel expectations, and travel intention through a between-subjects design involving 682 participants. The findings reveal that, although virtual influencers trigger higher levels of benign envy, they do not significantly increase travel expectation for specific destinations. Mediation analysis further shows that benign envy mediates the relationship between virtual influencers and tourists’ behavioral intentions, driving greater interest and a higher likelihood of actual visits. However, travel expectations do not exhibit a similar mediating effect. These results suggest that emotional responses, particularly benign envy, play a more significant role in shaping behavioral intentions than cognitive factors such as travel expectation. The findings offer valuable insights for the effective use of virtual influencers in tourism marketing strategies.