The Changing Facets of Marketing: Exploring the Social Media Effect on Tourist

Abstract

Social media has taken over almost every sphere of a man's world; ranging from socialisation, to business, to networking, to marketing and the like. No industry has remained untouched by the influence of social media. In today's fast pacing world, tourism offers recluse to the modern man looking for relaxation and unwinding stress. Tourism which has been an ever-dynamic industry has witnessed transformation by the advent of social media due to the very nature of it being 'information intensive'. In the present time and era, people are tech savvy and well informed, social media offers great opportunities to both tourists and travel firms for a meaningful exchange. Comparatively cheaper, interactive and less complex mechanisms of social media marketing have made it a favourite amongst the tourism sector. This paper aims to explore how an Indian tourist feels about social media marketing activities taken by the various Tourism and Hospitality players in terms of engagement and building a relationship with the Tourism brands, the paper seeks theoretical support of the Social Exchange Theory in building a conceptual framework and testing it amongst Indian tourists. With cut throat competition from well-established travel firms to newer start-ups, marketing has become a vital component for survival, keeping consumers engaged is the best way to thrive.