Exploring the Effectiveness of Social Media on Tourism Destination Marketing: An Empirical Study in a Developing Country

Abstract

More than 3.049 billion monthly active social media (Facebook) users are engaging in sharing content, views, surfing, and bridging their friends and family. Web 3.0 is a buzzword now That is going to ensure the decentralization of information, blockchain technology, data security, data privacy, and individual control over private data. The world’s scenery has been changed through the invention of the internet and social media has changed the landscape in the same way in this century. Social media has revolutionized the way companies convey their assortment of products and services to prospective customers. It has become a catalyst for changing the decisions of social media users. It has enabled every little firm to become a large conglomerate to pinpoint their niche customer segment and reach them effectively with various techniques. It has been observed that influencers in social media have a noteworthy and robust correlation (i.e., 73%) and contribute the most to travelers’ travel decision-making, indicating the least reliability (28% correlation). The study shows that the R square value is 0.88 and the adjusted R square value is 0.88, indicating that travelers’ decision-making is 88% shaped by social media influencers. Therefore, the boom of social media has also facilitated the way people communicate with each other, especially when they seek recommendations for purchasing something or availing of a service. It provides a platform for both consumers and businesses to have two-way communication where both parties can interact effectively on a real-time basis without incurring much expense. Social media has also brought a lot of tourist destinations closer to tourists that are situated in a remote part of the country or in a place that is quite untouched by tourist groups. It allows destination organizations like sites, parks, hotels, and amusement centers to conveniently publish multimedia content involving blog posts, images, videos, and interactive games and attract visitors to these destinations. Social media marketing also provides real-time information on customer profiles, behaviors, and perceptions to the marketing manager. It also influences tourist groups in making travel decisions like choosing a destination, a time of travel, or a package that they might want to avail of. In this research paper, we have identified four social media stimuli and shown their correlation with tourists’ decision-making. In this paper, it has been identified that more than 80% of the time, social media has a positive influence on travelers’ decisions about their tour itinerary. Social media has opened the horizon of decentralized communications among people all over the world. People can easily find their content as they are looking to meet their demands.