Applications of Social Media in the Tourism Industry: A Review

Md Tariqul Islam

doi:10.33215/sjom.v4i1.556

Abstract

Purpose- This study aims to review and analyze the articles related to social media applications and their impact on the tourism industry. Methodology- For conducting this study, three leading databases named Google Scholar, Science Direct, and EBSCO Host were used for data collection purposes, and the research was conducted in three phases. Selecting the database for collecting data was the first phase, which was carried out during the period between November 2020 to December 2020. In the second phase, screening of the collected data was done, and in the final stage, 46 articles were selected to conduct this study. Discussion- Over the last decade, the rapid advancements in information and communication technology (ICTs) have had reflective impacts on the global tourism sector. Both researchers and professionals have acknowledged that social media applications have a significant impact on both suppliers and consumers of the tourism industry. Findings- Based on the reviewed articles from the perspectives of the tourism consumers as well as the tourism suppliers, this study has found that consumers use social media in pre-during-post travel for searching different information and suppliers generally use social media for promotion, communication, management, research purposes.

Highlights

A great variety of virtual tools have been created by the invention of the internet and simultaneously, it has contributed to the rise of social networks that have become prominent today
Based on the reviewed articles from the perspectives of the tourism consumers as well as the tourism suppliers, this study has found that consumers use social media in pre-during-post travel for searching different information and suppliers generally use social media for promotion, communication, management, research purposes
Social media helps the organizations to observe the demand for their product, their users' attitudes, and customer satisfaction levels which help the organizations to set different innovative and effective strategies and policies to meet the customer's needs apart from that social media can be used as a useful promotional tool as the potential consumers become more influenced by the social media’s activities of a particular brand or organization

Summary

Introduction

A great variety of virtual tools have been created by the invention of the internet and simultaneously, it has contributed to the rise of social networks that have become prominent today. In their study, Javed et al, (2020) mentioned that Cohen provided a meaningful description of social media by reviewing thirty separate social media meanings and explaining the essential characteristics of it These characteristics are (1) social media requires internet-based software, platforms, and resources and relies only on information and communication technology for technological operationalization; (2) social media denotes the channels of communication that facilitate the participants as well as the public to create and share content and collaborate, directing to omnipresent transforms; and (3) social media link its users within a virtual world which has an impact on people's actions in real life (Zeng & Gerritsen, 2014). Content created by users and reciprocal or dual-track communication among the users is accommodated (Kennedy, et al, 2007; Hidayat & Are, 2018)

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