Social Media and Tourism - Project - Business Environment

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON
TOURISM BUSINESS
PROJECT
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Submitted By: Submitted To:
Siddharth Tandon Dr. Archi Mathur
Roll No. 1407 Dr. Ruchi Bhandari
B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) Faculty of Management
(IV Semester) National Law University, Jodhpur
National Law University, Jodhpur
(Winter Session)
(January-May 2018)
IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON TOURISM BUSINESS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Tourism is one of the largest sources of economic activity in the world. It is one of the main
sources that generates economic activity worldwide. The industry provides millions of jobs
direct and indirect. Tourism is not only one of the world’s largest, but also one of its fastest
growing industries. The tourism industry is benefitting a lot from what is known as “Web 2.0”.
Web 2.0 describes a growing trend towards online content made by web users, rather than
traditional publishers. It is an umbrella term used to describe online technologies and Medias
that facilitate interaction and exchange of information online. The uploading of an image,
review, video sharing, blog or vlog (video blog), everything comes under the ambit of this
umbrella term. Unintentionally and well as intentionally, the web is helping the tourism
industry reach new heights.
Intentionally, the various hotels, and restaurants through their own YouTube channels,
Facebook pages, Instagram accounts etc. promote not only their own established business but
also the city, or the country where they are situated. The various video bloggers and travel
bloggers, who get paid by governments and other industries related tourism, also form part of
intentional boosting of this industry. On the other hand, other significant help that the tourism
industry gets is from the common users of social media. A tourist uploads pictures and videos
of him visiting the sites, through which other people come to know of the tourist spot.
Unintentionally, he helps in spreading “online word-of-mouth (WoM)”. This goes a long way
in promoting the tourism business.
The hotels and restaurants have realised the role of selfies, and photography done by the normal
customers, which helps in their promotion. Because of which they spend enormous amount of
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money, in designing and decorating their establishment. Many such establishments have now
created “selfie point”, which is basically a part of the hotel or restaurant which is designed
beautifully so as to encourage people to take their photo in front of it. Not only hotels and
restaurants, but state and national governments have also realised the importance of social
media users, and they have also started using innovative ideas to promote tourism.
Web 2.0 and user-generated content (UGC) are currently the biggest online developments
reshaping traditional marketing methods of tourism business. According to the 2007 report of
Tourism Australia, the traditional method of in-person work of mouth marketing, print
advertising, and other related promotion activities are getting replaced by Web 2.0
technologies.
In the project, the emphasis will be laid mainly on the impact of the social media segment of
Web 2.0 technologies in boosting the growth of tourism industry. The role played by users of
social media sites such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat etc. in promoting
tourism will be analysed. The use of web as a tool, by the tourism related businesses and
governments, will be focussed upon.
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OBJECTIVES
1. To analyse the impact of social media pressure and online word-of-mouth (WoM) on
individuals in promoting tourism.
2. To identify the role of blogging and Vlogging on social media platforms in tourism
marketing.
3. To identify the use of social media as a tool by governments, and tourism related
industries, in creating an online tourism business environment.
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The method of research opted by me in this project was doctrinal in nature from both primary
and secondary sources. Primary data from users of social media shall be collected. The data so
collected will be tabulated and analysed. Majority of research work has been done via Articles,
Websites and various online databases.
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CHAPTERIZATION
CHAPTER I:
TOURISM INDUSTRY AND ITS GROWTH
Travel & Tourism is a key sector for economic development and job creation throughout the
world. With most people’s improvement in their living standard, and income, the tourism
industry is witnessing a mega-boost. In 2016, Travel & Tourism directly contributed Rs. 146
lakh crores. Not only that it gave way to almost 11 crore jobs worldwide. Taking its wider
indirect and induced impacts into account, the sector contributed Rs. 490 lakh crores to the
global economy and supported 29 crore jobs in 2016. This was equal to 10.2% of the world’s
GDP, and approximately 1 in 10 of all jobs.
Travel & Tourism’s direct contribution to GDP grew by 3.1% in 2016. This was faster than the
global economy as a whole which grew at 2.5%, meaning that for six consecutive years, the
Travel & Tourism sector has outperformed the global economy. The direct contribution of
Travel & Tourism to employment grew by 1.8% in 2016 meaning almost 2 million net
additional jobs were generated directly by the sector, and a total of around 6 million new jobs
created as a result of total direct, indirect and induced activity. This means that almost 1 in 5
of all new jobs created in 2016 were linked to Travel & Tourism.
At country level, the fastest growing larger Travel & Tourism countries are expected to be
China, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. By 2027, China is expected to have overtaken the USA
in terms of total Travel & Tourism GDP, domestic Travel & Tourism spending and investment.
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However, the USA is expected to remain on top in terms of direct Travel & Tourism GDP,
visitor exports and business travel spending. Whereas, India will jump from seventh to fourth
position. In 2016, India’s contribution to GDP was US$ 208.9 billion that is, Rs. 13.6 thousand
crores, which is expected to reach more than double to almost Rs. 28.2 thousand crores within
11 years.
A combination of forces, including shifts in the global economy, game-changing innovation,
geo-political turmoil, natural disasters, pandemics, and rising consumer demands has reshaped
the travel landscape in the recent scenario. Brilliant innovations, and stunning infrastructure
across the world have resulted in boosting the tourism environment, negating the detrimental
impact of pandemics such as Ebola, and terrorism.
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The advancement in technology is also helping the tourism industry in a great manner. For
example, Marriott’s “M Live” social media team engages in realtime conversations to deepen
personal relationships with guests. Numerous brands including Booking.com, Expedia, Hyatt
and KLM have introduced messaging platforms and bots at various stages of the customer
journey. These are only some examples from the hundreds of manners in which the internet,
along with its millions of applications and programs, has helped in the growth of the tourism
industry in a gigantic manner.
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CHAPTER II:
SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE RECENT TIMES
Information and communication technology has changed rapidly over the past 20 years with a
key development being the emergence of social media. In the 21st century social media has
been the game changing phenomenon within communication. The pace of change is
accelerating. For example, the development of mobile technology has played an important role
in shaping the impact of social media. Across the globe, mobile devices dominate in terms of
total minutes spent online. This puts the means to connect anywhere, at any time on any device
in everyone’s hands. Whereas the use of internet on laptop is dominated by work related study
and research, the majority of sue of internet on mobile phones is spent on social media, and
entertainment. The use of mobile phones has been enabled by the number of internet users
having grown from its initial moderate low millions to more recently low billions. Today
people and organisations remain connected and updated through various forms of social media
networks and we are surrounded by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat,
WhatsApp, blogs and microblogs to mention only a few.
The significance of social media is not restricted to a handful of areas. It includes almost
everything from research to work to entertainment to knowledge collection, virtual reality and
what not. Social networking sites like Facebook, WhatsApp etc. help you get connected to the
whole world, whereas social networks like LinkedIn allows you to get internships, jobs, and
basically display your professional information. In the recent times, when many companies
such as Jio, have come up with very cheap mobile data plans, more and more people are getting
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added to the world of internet, and subsequently to social networking websites. This has made
social media gain even more significance.
Significance of social media in other areas of importance:
i. The effect of social media on politics:
Social Media is being used by political leaders, and political parties to propagate their ideas,
and show their opinion, with the ultimate objective of getting votes. The biggest example is
our own prime minister. When Narendra Modi was elected in early 2014, the media delared
him “India’s first social media prime minister” and compared his approach to technology to
that of former US president Barack Obama. On the basis of having such a huge following on
social media, Time magazine in 2016 named Modi as one of the 30 most influential people on
the internet.
The BJP government has a separate cell (management unit), which handles all kinds of social
media related stuff. This includes posting about the important steps and policies that are being
taken by the government, recent updates about the whereabouts of its political
leaders(especially PM Narendra Modi), responding to messages from different people, etc.
ii. The impact of social media on society:
Almost a quarter of the world’s population is now on Facebook. In the USA nearly 80% of all
internet users are on this platform. Because social networks feed off interactions among people,
they become more powerful as they grow. Thanks to the internet, each person with marginal
views can see that he’s not alone. And when these people find one another via social media,
they can do things — create memes, publications and entire online worlds that bolster their
worldview, and then break into the mainstream.
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Without social media, social, ethical, environmental and political ills would have minimal
visibility. Increased visibility of issues has shifted the balance of power from the hands of a
few to the masses.
 The Flip Side:
Social media is slowly killing real activism and replacing it with ‘slacktivism’ While social
media activism brings an increased awareness about societal issues, questions remain as to
whether this awareness is translating into real change. Some argue that social sharing has
encouraged people to use computers and mobile phones to express their concerns on social
issues without actually having to engage actively with campaigns in real life. Their support is
limited to pressing the ‘Like’ button or sharing content.
iii. The impact of social media on commerce:
The rise of social media means it’s unusual to find an organization that does not reach its
customers and prospects through one social media platform or another. Companies see the
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importance of using social media to connect with customers and build revenue. Businesses
have realized they can use social media to generate insights, stimulate demand, and create
targeted product offerings. This is important in traditional brick-and-motor businesses, and,
obviously, in the world of e-commerce.
iv. The impact of social media on Training and Development:
Job candidates who develop skills on the latest and most advanced social media techniques are
far more employable.
A 2013 survey by Pearson Learning Solutions reported a significant increase in the use of social
media in learning. Over half the educators who were interviewed agreed that social sharing
encourages interaction, providing an environment that fosters learning.
Blogs, wikis, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and podcasts are now common tools for learning
in many educational institutions. Social media has contributed to the increase in long-distance
online learning.
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v. The impact of social media on personal relationships:
One of the effects of social media is encouraging people to form and cherish artificial bonds
over actual friendships. The term ‘friend’ as used on social media lacks the intimacy identified
with conventional friendships, where people actually know each other, want to talk to each
other, have an intimate bond and frequently interact face to face. Social Media plays a major
role in maintaining a long distance relationship, a relationship between parents and children, a
teacher-student relationship etc.
Thus, it’s been said that information is power. Without a means of distributing information,
people cannot harness the power. One positive impact of social media is in the distribution of
information in today’s world. Platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others have
made it possible to access information at the click of a button. Research conducted by parse.ly
shows that the life expectancy of a story posted on the web is 2.6 days, compared to 3.2 days
when a story is shared on social media. That’s a difference of 23%, which is significant when
you consider that billions of people use the internet daily. This means that the longer the
information is in circulation, the more discussion it generates and the greater the impact of
social media. Thus, social media’s significance in the recent times is humongous.
Thus, we can see that the importance of social media is not restricted to only messaging, and
uploading photos and videos, but also to many other worldly affairs. Before moving onto
tabulating the data and analysing the “Impact of Social Media on Tourism Business”, we need
to briefly look at the most popular social media networks that exist on the web, and how users,
government, and other tourism businesses are using them to indirectly/directly promote
tourism.
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1. Facebook:
Facebook is an American online social media and social networking service. Facebook may be
accessed by a large range of devices with Internet connectivity, such as desktop, laptop and
tablet computers, and smartphones. After registering to use the site, users can create a
customized profile indicating their name, occupation, schools attended and so on. Users can
add other users as "friends", exchange messages, post status updates, share photos, videos and
links, use various software applications ("apps"), and receive notifications of activity.
Facebook has more than 2 billion monthly active users as of June 2017.
Consumers use Facebook to upload status, opinions, activity, photos, videos etc. By giving
reviews, opinions, or by uploading photos and videos about different destinations or places
they motivate other people to travel. The National as well as State governments also use
Facebook to promote tourism by making a “page”. Page is basically an account dedicated to a
particular thing. In the case of tourism, that page is handled by some people who regularly
update it with beautiful photography, and wildlife pictures. The government also by the use of
FB advertise interesting package deals and tourism offers.
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2. Snapchat
Snapchat is an image messaging and multimedia mobile application. One of the principal
concepts of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are only available for a short time before
they become inaccessible. The app has evolved from originally focusing on person-to-person
photo sharing to presently featuring "Stories" of 24-hour chronological content, along with
"Discover" to let brands show ad-supported short-form entertainment. Snapchat has become
notable for representing a new, mobile-first direction for social media, and places significant
emphasis on users interacting with virtual stickers and augmented reality objects. As of late
2017, Snapchat has 178 million daily active users.
The promotion of tourism through Snapchat is basically done by the general public, and travel
vloggers. As already stated, Snap-story is only available for 24 hours, and then automatically
gets deleted. Thus, people tend to upload a whole lot of pics and videos on Snapchat. The role
that Snapchat plays in influencing people to travel, is very large in comparison with other
networking sites. This is because, when travelling a person tends to upload every small detail
of their travel on Snapchat, whereas in case of other Social Media, people generally filter the
media they upload.
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3. YouTube
YouTube is an American video-sharing website. While not normally thought of as a social
networking site, it has all the required qualities. YouTube allows users to upload, view, rate,
share, add to favourites, report, comment on videos, and subscribe to other users. It offers a
wide variety of user-generated and corporate media videos. Available content includes video
clips, TV show clips, music videos, short and documentary films, audio recordings, movie
trailers, live streams, and other content such as video blogging, short original videos, and
educational videos. Most of the content on YouTube is uploaded by individuals, but media
corporations including CBS, the BBC, Vevo, and Hulu offer some of their material via
YouTube as part of the YouTube partnership program.
YouTube is basically used by the travel Vloggers, to promote tourism. Earlier people used to
click pics, and videos of destinations they used to travel only for fun and as a memory. But
now, travel Vlogging has become a career. There are many travel Vloggers with millions of
subscribers of YouTube, who visit places and destinations around the world, and tell people
about the famous cuisines, and cultures. Now-a-days travel Vlogging is being done for
informative as well as experiential purposes. The content that these travel Vloggers upload
provides insight, and knowledge about the languages, religions, dance, music, architecture,
food, and customs of different destinations. They also tend to provide an experience, that is
genuine and engaging. Some of the most popular travel Vloggers on YouTube are
vagaBrothers, Mike Corey, and Exploring Alternatives.
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4. Instagram
Instagram is a mobile, desktop, and Internet-based photo-sharing application and service that
allows users to share pictures and videos either publicly, or privately to pre-approved followers.
Instagram lets registered users upload photos or videos to the service. Users can apply various
digital filters to their images, and add locations through geotags. They can add hashtags to their
posts, linking the photos up to other content on Instagram featuring the same subject or overall
topic.
In a survey conducted on Instagram, the platform is the go-to social network for 48% of people
who want to choose destinations to visit on their next getaway. 35% of them use Instagram to
get inspired and discover new places. This is because Instagram is built on interactions and
inspiration from family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances: people you know, you trust,
and whose opinion you are more likely to take into account when it comes to making a travel
decision. Instagram started as a social media channel, but over time has become a personal tour
guide, like a special tourist office or even a new travel agent. With around 400 million active
users on Instagram, companies strive to win consumer interest by using Instagram as a visual
tool.
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CHAPTER III:
DATA TABULATION
 The primary data which has been tabulated in this chapter has been collected from
three different categories of people:
a. Answers for the eleven questions contained in the first section of this chapter have
been obtained from 32 people in the age group of 18 to 54. The common
denominator for all these people is that they use social media and have travelled
at least 2 times in their lives. These have been tabulated in the form of Bar Graphs.
b. Answers for three questions contained in the second section of this chapter, have
been obtained from 7 travel agencies based in Jodhpur. These have been tabulated
in the form of Pie Charts.
c. And finally, answers for six questions contained in the third section of this chapter
have been obtained from 3 hotels and 7 restaurants situated in Jodhpur. These have
been tabulated in the form of Pie Charts.
 Methods used:
a. Google Forms and approaching/calling people personally were the two methods
that were used for obtaining the data for the first section of this chapter.
b. For the second section, travel agencies situated in Nai Sarak, and Paota were
approached personally.
c. For the third section also, the same method of approaching hotels and restaurants
personally was used that are situated in Old city and Ratanada.
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I. Users of Social Media:
1. For which of the following purposes do you use social media?
2. Do you upload photos and videos on social media when you go for travelling?
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3. Do you get motivated by the media that others upload on social media when they
travel?
4. Do you think people uploading media of their travel is a kind of show-off?
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5. Do you think that uploading photos and videos of travel makes people think highly
of you?
6. Does the idea of sharing your photos and videos on social media, play a kind of
motivating factor behind going for travelling?
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7. Have you come across any kind of state government initiative for increasing
tourism on social media?
8. Do you click on the tourism advertisements and pop-ups on social media?
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9. Do you give reviews/ratings about hotels and restaurants that you've visited, on
social media?
10. Have you subscribed to travel and tourism pages on social media?
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11. How many travel bloggers do you follow in any of your social media?
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II. Travel Agencies:
1. Do you think advertising or promoting your travel agency on social media is an
effective way?
2. Do you own/handle/manage any social media pages/accounts for your travel agency?
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3. Do you pay money to any of the social media for advertising your travel agency?
4. What has been the impact of development of online travel and tourism sites on your
business?
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III. Hotels/Restaurants
1. Do you think advertising or promoting your hotel/restaurant on social media is an
effective way?
2. Do you own/handle/manage any social media pages/accounts for your
hotel/restaurant?
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3. Do you pay money to any of the social media for advertising your hotel/restaurant?
4. Do you give out offers/discounts of your hotel/restaurant on social media?
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5. Do you allow people to give review/feedback about their experience in your
hotel/restaurant on social media?
6. From which type of advertisement do you get most amount of customers?
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CHAPTER IV:
ANALYSIS
Social media has fundamentally changed the way that many companies communicate with and
market to their target demographics. For the travel and hospitality sector, in particular, the rise
of the Internet and the increased popularity of social channels has altered travel marketing.
From the way that travellers research potential destinations to the activities that they participate
in once they arrive, the new ways that consumers use social media to make purchasing
decisions has influenced tourism marketing from start to finish.
Here are five ways tourism has been impacted:
1) Travel research transformed
The most profound effect that social media has had on the tourism industry to date is the
democratization of online reviews. Today’s travelers go online to research their future travel
destinations and accommodations. When booking travel, 89% of millennials plan travel
activities based on content posted by their peers online. From social sharing sites such as
Instagram to crowd-sourced review sites such as TripAdvisor, people are browsing the Internet
for travel inspiration and validation from their peers. There, they can easily find other travelers’
photos, check-ins, ratings and more. This easy-to-attain, real guest feedback serves to preview
the in-person experience that the destination has to offer from a viewpoint other than that of
the brand. As you might assume, this social media content is tremendously accessible and
influential, and it can serve to either put off potential guests or inspire them to book.
From the data collected, we can find that 24 people out of 32 gave online reviews and ratings
about the hotels and restaurants that they’ve visited. While majority of these people gave only
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ratings, still, it can be found out, that people try to inform other people of their experience. The
people looking to travel get influenced and convinced more by these ratings and one-line
reviews than the whole advertisement that the hotel/restaurant display. This is because they
believe (which is true also), that these reviews are genuine and if they’ll visit that place, most
probably they’ll get the experience as conveyed by the review.
2) Rise in social sharing
People have always loved sharing photos and videos taken of their travels. What social media
has done is to facilitate and expand people’s ability to share travel experiences with a wider
audience than ever before. Over 97% of millennials share photos and videos of their travels
online, building an influential web of peer-to-peer content that serves to inspire potential
guests.
As we can perceive from our findings, the prime objective for 14 out of 32 people using social
media is uploading photos and videos. While others may give this objective a lesser importance
that some other one, they also take part in uploading media. This tremendously helps in
promotion of places, hotels and restaurants. This trend hasn’t gone unnoticed. Many hotels and
resorts have turned to running social contests and campaigns to ensure that they get some credit
for their guests’ social activity. An example could be “Selfie Point” in Imbiss restaurant in
Mumbai. The restaurant has beautifully decorated a small part of their place, for the sole
purpose of encouraging the customers to take a photo/selfie in front of it, and upload it with
the hashtag #Imbissmylove. Another example can be, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants used
guests’ wedding photos instead of staged, professional photographs to market their wedding
venues. The campaign encouraged guests to take photos, tag them with the hashtag
#KimptonWeddings – and ultimately to create user-generated content for the brand that was
free, authentic, and repurposed across its marketing channels.
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The data collected from the hotels/ restaurants, suggest that six out of ten places believe that
usage of social media for promotion is an effective way, while seven out of these ten
institutions, actually manage/handle an account on multiple social media platforms. They have
realised that most of the people now-a-days spend time on social media rather than magazines,
newspapers, or television. While talking to owners/ managers to these institutions, it was
realised that they believed that social media is the cheapest tool. They conveyed that they don’t
have to pay a single penny to anyone for handling an account of their institution.
Eight out of ten institutions paid money to social media to advertise about them. They said that
the amount being paid to social media for advertisement is a very meagre amount, but its result
is manifold. Five out of these eight paid money to multiple social networking sites, such as
Facebook, Zomato, and YouTube .
3) Enhanced customer service
Customer service and satisfaction have also been transformed as a result of social media. The
vast majority of brands have a social media presence that is being used to become aware of
and, when necessary, to provide help to unsatisfied or confused customers. The companies that
respond to complaints in a sincere and genuine manner develop a strong reputation among
current and potential customers. American Airlines and JetBlue are particularly adept at
addressing flight issues and providing a human touch to otherwise frustrating experiences.
When Twitter users contact a brand, more than half expect a response. If they are reaching out
with a complaint, that number rises to almost 75%. Responding to complaints and questions
helps to humanize your brand and to indicate to current and future customers that they are
valued. Additionally, customer success representatives should be intentional with their
company’s social media interactions. Social media can serve as a social listening tool to find
out information about your guests. Are they visiting for an anniversary or a special occasion?
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Listening to customers through social media can help your brand create an exceptional
experience that is sure to delight your guests.
In the collection of data, the owners/managers of hotels/restaurants were asked whether they
allow their customer to give reviews and feedbacks about them on social media. Six out of ten
said they do allow. The main reason as told by them was that if somebody pointed out a flaw,
they tried to correct it for the next customer’s experience. By getting feedback they also got to
know, what cuisine or service people are liking the most. Thus, increasing the customer service.
4) Reshaping travel agencies
Social media has also had a major impact on the travel agency model. The availability of
information and ease of self-service booking have forced travel agencies to adapt from a brick-
and-mortar model to a more digital one. Travel agencies are not obsolete in India, they are still
responsible for 55% of all airline bookings, and 73% of package bookings. But many agencies
have shifted their focus from in-person to online experiences as they adapt to new technology
and market trends. Agents working with millennial travelers should take into account the
generation’s preference for “experiences over materials.” Instead of trying to upsell them on
flight upgrades and lodging, consider presenting unique experiences guaranteed to create a
lasting memory (and to inspire a great Instagram post.)
When asked the question – what has been the impact of online travel and tourism booking on
their business to owners of travel agencies, five out of seven replied with “business has
decreased”. While two replied with “no impact”, there was not a single taker for “business has
increased”. While communicating they said that the number of people getting their flights or
hotels booked have decreased. The sale of package deals of national as well as international
destinations have been the same. Thus, it can be said that while travel agencies may struggle
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to remain relevant, as self-booking options increase, their advantage is that many travelers still
prefer the personal touch.
5) Changing loyalty programs
As most marketers know, acquiring new customers is far more expensive than retaining
existing ones. Loyalty programs have become a core piece of the travel business model, and
social media has had a massive impact on how hotel loyalty programs are constructed. Many
customers understand that the opinions that they share with their individual networks have
tremendous influence. As a result, these guests feel entitled to compensation for the positive
word-of-mouth marketing that they are doing for a brand. More than 25% of millennials that
participate in loyalty programs are very likely to post about a brand in exchange for loyalty
points. With the availability of technologies that allow mention and hashtag tracking across
social media channels, it is easier than ever for hotels to discover passionate guests and to
reward them accordingly. Integrating social media sharing and posting can be worked into
existing tier loyalty programs to encourage brand promotion across social media platforms.
When loyal guests share the easy the redeem perks and benefits offered by a brand’s loyalty
programs on social media, other guests see that the benefits are attainable -- and desirable --
and they will be more incentivized to participate. Social media has altered the landscape of
marketing in the leisure and hospitality industry. Most travelers determine their travel plans
based on reviews and social media shares, making online customer service a crucial part of
building a positive brand reputation. The prevalence of social media has disrupted traditional
customer service models -- for hotels and travel agencies alike. By curating positive reviews
and encouraging social shares, hospitality brands can leverage social media to build positive
brand awareness, increase brand loyalty, and display just how much their accommodations and
activities have to offer.
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Travel Blogging/Vlogging and its impact
Travel blogs have become really important for destinations because written content provide
consumers with the opportunity to share travel experiences that encourage others to consider
visiting the destination. With the advent of technology, and incorporation of highly competent
cameras in mobile devices such as phones, GoPro, tablets etc., the capturing of experiences
through videos has also become possible. So, the travellers who just use to write blog after
completing their trips, have now started shooting live videos of the destinations they visit. This
concept is known as Vlogging (Video Blogging). The concept of Vlogging is much more
interactive and communicating than blogging, as it provides experience directly through
moving pictures, than words. But that doesn’t mean that blogs have lost significance. Blogs are
still uploaded and read by millions on the internet.
These blogs describe locations vividly starting from the hotel that they stayed at to the travel
agency they used. This is again free advertising which helps the travel and tourism companies
a lot. A survey showed that companies with a travel blog generated 88% more inbound leads
than those who did not have one.
Information research especially in tourism is important, because travel related products are
intangible and therefore difficult to assess by the traveller before the visit. Consequently, a
more detailed information search has to be done in advance. Here, blogs play an essential role,
since the blogging community benefits from sharing information and opinions, perceiving
blogs to be more credible than the traditionally impersonal tourist information.
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CHAPTER V:
CONCLUSION
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES:
 Does Social Media Make Millennials Want To Travel More?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimmyrohampton/2017/03/26/does-social-media-make-
millennials-want-to-travel-more/#684128765c17
 Teen Peer Pressure https://netsanity.net/teen-peer-pressure/
 The importance of social media in tourism: Facebook and Twitter https://blog.amara-
marketing.com/en/social-media-tourism-facebook-twitter
 The Importance of Social Media in Today’s Travel Industry
http://www.dcsplus.net/blog/the-importance-of-social-media-in-todays-travel-industry
 Youtube Overtakes Facebook as the Web’s Biggest Social Network
https://www.brafton.com/news/youtube-overtakes-facebook-webs-biggest-social-
network/
ARTICLES:
 Social Media in Tourism (2006) by Benxiang Zeng, The Northern Institute, Charles
Darwin University, Australia
 Role of Social Media in Tourism Marketing(2015) by Anwesha Mukherjee, Manasa
Nagabhushanan, ISBR Research Centre, Bangalore
 Social Media Marketing and Promotion of Tourism by Pardhasardhi Madasu
37 | P a g e
ANNEXURE I
Questionnaire
Users of Social Media:
For which of the following purposes do you use social media?
Do you upload photos and videos on social media when you go for travelling?
Do you get motivated by the media that others upload on social media when they travel?
Do you think people uploading media of their travel is a kind of show-off?
Do you think that uploading photos and videos of travel makes people think highly of you?
Does the idea of sharing your photos and videos on social media, play a kind of motivating
factor behind going for travelling?
Have you come across any kind of state government initiative for increasing tourism on
social media?
Do you click on the tourism advertisements and pop-ups on social media?
38 | P a g e
Do you give reviews/ratings about hotels and restaurants that you've visited, on social
media?
Have you subscribed to travel and tourism pages on social media?
How many travel bloggers do you follow in any of your social media?
For Travel Agencies:
Do you think advertising or promoting your travel agency on social media is an effective
way?
Do you own/handle/manage any social media pages/accounts for your travel agency?
Do you pay money to any of the social media for advertising your travel agency?
For Restaurants/Hotels:
39 | P a g e
Do you think advertising or promoting your hotel/restaurant on social media is an effective

way?
Do you own/handle/manage any social media pages/accounts for your hotel/restaurant?
Do you pay money to any of the social media for advertising your hotel/restaurant?
Do you give out offers/discounts of your hotel/restaurant on social media?
Do you allow people to give review/feedback about their experience in your

hotel/restaurant on social media?
From which type of advertisement do you get most amount of customers?
40 | P a g e
ANNEXURE II
The following are the travel agencies that were approached to obtain primary data:
1. Holiday Planner:
112, Medical College Road, Near Gurudwara,
Sindhi Colony, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342003
2. Neer Tours and Travels:
Inside Raghunath Das Parihar Dharamshala,
Railway Station Road, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
3. Jodhpur Holidays:
Office No. 13, Amardeep Complex, B Rd,
Sardarpura, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
4. Global Connect Travel
OPP SAHI SAMOSA, 105, Nai Sarak, Ghantaghar
Market, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
5. Balaji Forex Tours And Travels
Near Pal Haveli, Gulab Sagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
342001
6. Mahadev Travels Agency
Main Opp. LIC Office,, Mandore Rd, Bhadwasiya,
Paota, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
41 | P a g e
7. Apex Chandra Travels & Cargo
10-11 Near ASG Eye Hospital, Mandore Rd,
Paota, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342006
42 | P a g e
ANNEXURE III
The following are the hotels that were approached to obtain primary data:
1. Juna Mahal Boutique Homestay
Old For Road,Ada Bazaar, Daga Street, Jodhpur,
Rajasthan 342001
2. Hotel Residency Palace
High Court Colony, Near Senapathi Bhavan,
Ratanada, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
3. The Marwar & Gardens
1, High Court Colony, Ratanada, 342001, Jodhpur,
India
The following are the restaurants that were approached to obtain primary data:
4. Crossroads:
P.W.D Colony, 32, Bhev Vilas, Jodhpur, Rajasthan

342003
5. On The Rocks
Ajit Bhawan Near Circuit House, National

Highway 65, Ajit Colony, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
342006
6. The Curry's
43 | P a g e
Sutharo Ka Bass Road, Makrana Mohalla, Tuvar Ji

Ka Jhalra, Near Hotel Raas, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
342001
7. Skyzz Restaurant
6th Floor, Blue City Mall, Rajasthan State

Highway 61, Near Ajit Bhawan, Ajit Colony,
Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
8. BarNella
G-2 Ganeshpura main circuit house road Ratanada,

Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
9. Namaste Cafe
Makrana Mohalla, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
10. Shivam
Clock Tower Rd, Kandoi Bazar, Tambaku Market,

Rawaton Ka Bass, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001
44 | P a g e

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IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON

Submitted By: Submitted To:

Siddharth Tandon Dr. Archi Mathur

Roll No. 1407 Dr. Ruchi Bhandari

B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) Faculty of Management

(IV Semester) National Law University, Jodhpur

National Law University, Jodhpur

industry reach new heights.

in promoting the tourism business.

governments, will be focussed upon.

individuals in promoting tourism.

industries, in creating an online tourism business environment.

Websites and various online databases.

TOURISM INDUSTRY AND ITS GROWTH

GDP, and approximately 1 in 10 of all jobs.

A combination of forces, including shifts in the global economy, game-changing innovation,

impact of pandemics such as Ebola, and terrorism.

industry in a gigantic manner.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE RECENT TIMES

networks and we are surrounded by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat,

WhatsApp, blogs and microblogs to mention only a few.

social media gain even more significance.

Significance of social media in other areas of importance:

i. The effect of social media on politics:

leaders(especially PM Narendra Modi), responding to messages from different people, etc.

ii. The impact of social media on society:

worldview, and then break into the mainstream.

few to the masses.

 The Flip Side:

limited to pressing the ‘Like’ button or sharing content.

iii. The impact of social media on commerce:

targeted product offerings. This is important in traditional brick-and-motor businesses, and,

obviously, in the world of e-commerce.

iv. The impact of social media on Training and Development:

far more employable.

encourages interaction, providing an environment that fosters learning.

v. The impact of social media on personal relationships:

teacher-student relationship etc.

Facebook to promote tourism by making a “page”. Page is basically an account dedicated to a

FB advertise interesting package deals and tourism offers.

2017, Snapchat has 178 million daily active users.

media they upload.

YouTube is an American video-sharing website. While not normally thought of as a social

YouTube as part of the YouTube partnership program.

vagaBrothers, Mike Corey, and Exploring Alternatives.

three different categories of people:

in the form of Pie Charts.

been tabulated in the form of Pie Charts.

I. Users of Social Media:

1. For which of the following purposes do you use social media?

4. Do you think people uploading media of their travel is a kind of show-off?

motivating factor behind going for travelling?

tourism on social media?

8. Do you click on the tourism advertisements and pop-ups on social media?

II. Travel Agencies:

1. Do you think advertising or promoting your travel agency on social media is an

1. Do you think advertising or promoting your hotel/restaurant on social media is an

2. Do you own/handle/manage any social media pages/accounts for your

4. Do you give out offers/discounts of your hotel/restaurant on social media?

5. Do you allow people to give review/feedback about their experience in your

hotel/restaurant on social media?

6. From which type of advertisement do you get most amount of customers?

decisions has influenced tourism marketing from start to finish.

Here are five ways tourism has been impacted: