The Impact of Social Media on Tourism in Qatar

Abstract

Social media has been at the forefront of technological information dissemination, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. The internet age has increased the prevalence and dependence on technological platforms and social media platforms have been playing a pivotal role in this digital evolution. The tourism sector has been one of the most impacted by this growth and continues to transform into different directions and boundaries and project new paths in terms of growth prospects. For tourism service providers and importantly so, tourism destinations, perhaps the biggest concerns for them to deal with at present are interactions that take place consistently and constantly on these social media platforms. One such destination is Qatar. The Gulf country has suffered some damage to its reputation and image largely due to social media bashing. It is, however, through the same mode of negative chatter that the country could make a strong come back through its tourism sector. This research is therefore carried out to ascertain what the impacts of social media interactions are on the tourism industry in general and how these trends may be utilised for the positive gains that Qatar may experience. The results showed a promising prospect for Qatar to gain its glorious image as a world leading Middle Eastern destination.