Social Media: Its Impact on Youth Travelers and Formation of Sustainable Destination Image
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52756/ijerr.2024.v41spl.020Keywords:
Influence of social media, social media, sustainable Destination Image, youth TravelersAbstract
Social media is widely used, particularly in the travel industry. With the rapid changes in technology, there has been a substantial escalation in the usage of various social media networking sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. On these platforms, users are encouraged to make blog entries, upload images of their adventures, and exchange information about their activities and hobbies with other users. Various researchers have examined how social media has the potential to influence the trip-planning process significantly, and it has been concluded that social media has a noteworthy influence on travel decisions. The current study aims to investigate the influence of social media on the travel decisions that are being taken up by the young generation. The present research aims to investigate the influence of social media in the generation of images of various destinations in the minds of prospective travelers. To fathom the influence of social media in the minds of the young generation while they are making travel decisions, a conceptual framework has been developed in the current study with the help of the Technology Acceptance Model. To achieve the objective of inspecting the influence of social media in generating sustainable destination images in travelers’ minds, a sample size of 420 has been taken. Perceived Costs, Perceived Ease of Use, and Perceived Enjoyment have been used to evolve the conceptual model. The findings of the study will play a vital role for online travel marketers as it will provide them insights regarding the way the young generation makes use of social networking sites and how these sites are helpful in the creation of destination images in the minds of these travelers and allow them to modify their online marketing tactics accordingly.
References
Baloglu, S., & Brinberg, D. (1997). Affective Images of Tourism Destinations. J. Travel Res., 35, 11–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728759703500402
Baloglu, S., & McCleary, K.W. (1999). A model of destination image formation. Ann. Tour. Res., 26, 868–897. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00030-4
Berry, L.L., Parasuraman, A., & Zeithaml, V.A. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. J. Retail., 64, 12–40
Buhalis, D. (2000). Marketing the competitive destination of the future. Tour. Manag., 21, 97–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00095-3
Chung, N., Lee, H., Lee, S.J., & Koo, C. (2015). The influence of tourism website on tourists’ behavior to determine destination selection: A case study of the creative economy in Korea. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang., 96, 130–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.03.004
Csikzentmihalyi, M. (1977). Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., & Warshaw, P. R. (1992). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use computers in the workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(14), 1111–1132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1992.tb00945.x
de las Heras-Pedrosa, C., Millan-Celis, E., Iglesias-Panka Sánchez, P.P., & Jambrino-Maldonado, C. (2020). Importance of social media in the image formation of tourist destinations from the stakeholders’ perspective. Sustainability, 12, 4092. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104092
Luarn, P., & Lin, H. H. (2005). Toward an understanding of the behavioral intention to use mobile banking. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(6), 873–891. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.597
Ghani, J. A., Supnick, R., & Rooney, P. (1991). The experience of flow in computer-mediated and in face-to-face Groups. ICIS, 91(6), 229–237.
Ghazali, R.M., & Cai, L. (2013). Social Media Sites in Destination Image Formation. In Tourism Social Media: Transformations in Identity, Community Baloglu, S., & Brinberg, D. (1997). Affective Images of Tourism Destinations. J. Travel Res., 35, 11–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728759703500402
Baloglu, S., & McCleary, K.W. (1999). A model of destination image formation. Ann. Tour. Res., 26, 868–897. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00030-4
Berry, L.L., Parasuraman, A., & Zeithaml, V.A. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. J. Retail., 64, 12–40
Buhalis, D. (2000). Marketing the competitive destination of the future. Tour. Manag., 21, 97–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00095-3
Chung, N., Lee, H., Lee, S.J., & Koo, C. (2015). The influence of tourism website on tourists’ behavior to determine destination selection: A case study of the creative economy in Korea. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang., 96, 130–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.03.004
Csikzentmihalyi, M. (1977). Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., & Warshaw, P. R. (1992). Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation to use computers in the workplace. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(14), 1111–1132. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1992.tb00945.x
de las Heras-Pedrosa, C., Millan-Celis, E., Iglesias-Panka Sánchez, P.P., & Jambrino-Maldonado, C. (2020). Importance of social media in the image formation of tourist destinations from the stakeholders’ perspective. Sustainability, 12, 4092. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104092
Luarn, P., & Lin, H. H. (2005). Toward an understanding of the behavioral intention to use mobile banking. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(6), 873–891. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.597
Ghani, J. A., Supnick, R., & Rooney, P. (1991). The experience of flow in computer-mediated and in face-to-face Groups. ICIS, 91(6), 229–237.
Ghazali, R.M., & Cai, L. (2013). Social Media Sites in Destination Image Formation. In Tourism Social Media: Transformations in Identity, Community and Culture; Emerald Group Publishing Limited: Binglgy, UK. 18, 73–86, ISBN 0000018007. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-5043(2013)0000018007
Gretzel, U., Fesenmaier, D.R., Formica, S., & O’Leary, J.T. (2006). Searching for the future: Challenges faced by destination marketing organizations. J. Travel Res., 45, 116–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287506291598
Hair, J.F., Black, W.C., Babin, B.J., & Anderson, R.E. (2014). Multiple Data Analysis, 7th ed.; Pearson New International Edition: Essex, UK. ISBN 978-1-292-02190-4. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084241
Hays, S., Page, S.J., & Buhalis, D. (2013). Social media as a destination marketing tool: Its use by national tourism organizations. Curr. Issues Tour., 16, 211–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2012.662215
Hsu, C.H.C., Wolfe, K., & Kang, S.K. (2004). Image assessment for a destination with limited comparative advantages. Tour. Manag., 25, 121–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(03)00062-1
Huertas, A. (2018). How live videos and stories in social media influence tourist opinions and behaviour. Inf. Technol. Tour., 19, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-018-0112-0
Kim, H., & Chen, J.S. (2016). Destination image formation process: A holistic model. J. Vacat. Mark., 22, 154–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766715591870
Kim, M. K., Joo, C., & Park, J. H. (2017). Investigating the determinants of low adoption of tablet PCs in Korean firms: Effects of value perception and alternative attractiveness. Telematics and Informatics, 34(8), 1557–1571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.07.003
Kim, S., Young, K., Il, S., & Yang, S. (2017). Effects of tourism information quality in social media on destination image formation: The case of Sina Weibo. Inf. Manag., 54, 687–702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2017.02.009
Lee, C.K., Lee, Y.K., & Lee, B.K. (2005). Korea’s Destination Image Formed by the 2002 World Cup. Ann. Tour. Res., 32, 839–858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2004.11.006
Li, R., & Suh, A. (2015). Factors Influencing Information credibility on Social Media Platforms: Evidence from Facebook Pages. Procedia Comput. Sci., 72, 314–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.12.146
Llodra-Riera, I., Martínez-Ruiz, M.P., Jimenez-Zarco, A.I., & Izquierdo-Yusta, A. (2015). A multidimensional analysis of the information sources construct and its relevance for destination image formation. Tour. Manag., 48, 319–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2014.11.012
Machogu, M. A., & Okiko, L. (2012). The perception of bank employees towards cost of adoption, risk of innovation, and staff training’s influence on the adoption of information and communication technology in the Rwandan commercial banks. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 17(2), 1–15.
Mak, A.H.N. (2017). Online destination image: Comparing national tourism organisation’s and tourists’ perspectives. Tour. Manag., 60, 280–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.12.012
Mariani, M.M., Mura, M., & Di, M. (2018). The determinants of Facebook social engagement for national tourism organizations’ Facebook pages: A quantitative approach. J. Destin. Mark. Manag., 8, 312–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2017.06.003
Mathieson, K., Peacock, E., & Chin, W. W. (2001). Extending the technology acceptance model: The influence of perceived user resources. The Database for Advances in Information Systems, 32(3), 86–112. https://doi.org/10.1145/506724.506730
Mehmood, S., Liang, C., & Gu, D. (2018). Heritage Image and Attitudes toward a Heritage Site: Do They Really Mediate the Relationship between User-Generated Content and Travel Intentions toward a Heritage Site? Sustainability, 10, 4403. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124403
Pike, S., & Page, S.J. (2014). Destination Marketing Organizations and destination marketing: A narrative analysis of the literature. Tour Manag., 41, 202–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2013.09.009
Seddighi, H.R., & Theocharous, A.L. (2002). A model of tourism destination choice: A theoretical and empirical analysis. Tour. Manag, 23, 475–487. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(02)00012-2
Shuang, Y. (2013). Effects of information quality and source credibility on EWOM adoption in the context of virtual community. In Proceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Management Science and Engineering 20th Annual Conference Proceedings, Harbin, China, pp. 194–200. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICMSE.2013.6586282
Stepchenkova, S., Mills, J.E., & Mills, J.E. (2010). Destination Image: A Meta-Analysis of 2000–2007 Research. J. Hosp. Mark. Manag., 16, 575–609. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2010.493071
Sultan, M.T., Sharmin, F., Badulescu, A., Gavrilut, D., & Xue, K. (2021). Social Media-Based Content towards Image Formation: A New Approach to the Selection of Sustainable Destinations. Sustainability, 13, 4241. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084241.
Tham, A., Croy, G., & Mair, J. (2013). Social Media in Destination Choice: Distinctive Electronic Word-of-Mouth Dimensions. J. Travel Tour. Mark., 3, 144–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2013.751272
Dandapath, P., Oraon, G., & Jana, S. (2016). Tourism caused jeopardize of biodiversity: a case study on Mandermoni –Dadanpatrabarh coastal tourist destination in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, India. Int. J. Exp. Res. Rev., 4, 40-44.
Venkatesh, V., & Davis, F. D. (1996). A model of the antecedents of perceived ease of use. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.1996.tb00860.x
Wang, H.Y. (2012). Investigating the determinants of travel blogs influencing readers’ intention to travel. Serv. Ind. J., 32, 231–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2011.559225
Woosnam, K.M., Stylidis, D., & Ivkov, M. (2020) Explaining conative destination image through cognitive and affective destination image and emotional solidarity with residents. J. Sustain. Tour., 28, 917–935. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2019.1708920
Zeithaml, V.A., & Berry, L.L. (1985). A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and its Implication for Future Research. J. Mark., 49, 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298504900403
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
