Tourism Destinations in the Digital and Social Media Age - Research Proposal Example

Tourism destinations in the digital and social media age Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 2.Research problem and research questions 3 3.Literature review 4 4.Theoretical framework 5 4.1.Electronic Word of mouth 6 4.2.Web 2.0 6 4.3.Information communication technologies 6 5.Research Methodology 6 5.1.Data Collection 6 5.2.Sampling 7 5.3.Data collection instrument 7 5.4.Research philosophy 7 5.5.Research approach 8 5.6.Questionnaire 8 5.7.Ethical consideration 8 6.Significance of research 8 7.Timeline 9 Reference List 10 1. Introduction Tourism is one of the major sources of economic development in the contemporary world. This industry has become an important source of direct as well as indirect employment worldwide. Being the fastest growing service industries, it is responsible for inducing a number of activities in a country’s economy. The growing importance of tourism in the global market has compelled countries worldwide to involve in promotion of their respective tourist destinations (Madasu, 2013). The promotion of tourism necessarily requires use of marketing mix strategies. Tourism marketing is the method of applying marketing techniques in order to promote various destinations in the tourism industry. The growth of technologies and social networking has resulted in increasing importance of social media in tourism activities impacting destinations and businesses (Buhalis and Law, 2008). Easy access to internet and social media has changed the way information related to travel and leisure is shared. Social media provides a platform to tourists and travellers to share their travel experiences and emotions far more conveniently than that in the past (Jacobsen and Munar, 2012). 2. Research problem and research questions The objective of this research is to evaluate impact of social and digital media on tourism destinations and role of information in improving the experience of consumer. Further, the study concentrates on role of tourism operators in educating consumers about destination engagement. According to various researchers, effect of social media is vital on the tourism industry as the web-based platform provides for real-time sharing of travel experiences, in addition to information available in guidebooks, news media and travel coordinators (Williams, Stewart and Larsen, 2011). Although a number of studies have been conducted to understand destination choice of tourists based on online information, there are still certain deficiencies related to impact of social media on travellers. So, the research objective is to establish significance of social media, especially social networks and blogs, in engaging consumers to tourist destinations ( Jennings, 2001). On basis of research objective, the study aims to answer the following questions: What impact does the amount of information collected via online sources has on individual’s satisfaction while travelling? Do more thorough information searches mean a better experience? How can tourism operators teach consumers to engage with their destination? 3. Literature review Advancement in technologies and increase in usage of internet has resulted in consideration of information search as a well-established segment of research. Moreover, various consumer and marketing studies reflect preference of individuals towards information search prior to any consumption decision (Gursoy and McCleary, 2004). Information related to a tourist destination emerges not only from experienced visitors, but also from travel catalogues, tourism related magazines and other supplements and guidebooks. National and local tourism organisations disseminate sufficient information through internet (Stamboulis and Skayannis, 2003). The impact of social networking sites such as, Facebook and Twitter, as well as electronic word-of-mouth on tourists’ decision-making process has been tremendous as observed by scholars. The younger tourists are more inclined towards internet-based sources for their travel decisions and consequently are often referred to as Net generation (Tapscott, 2009) and Digital natives (Prensky, 2001). Research shows that individuals who avail travel services online always maintain a positive attitude towards web sources as well as make intensive use of relevant information (Morrison, et al., 2001). Consumer behaviour literature suggests that consumers tend to engage in exploring various sources of information, prior to any purchase so as to eliminate or minimise risk (Gursoy and McCleary, 2004). As per the authors, risk reduction activities are of considerable importance when purchase decision is complex and relatively expensive such as, holiday tours, where risks can be monetary (waste of money), social (not entertaining), physical (cause of illness or injury) and functional (requirements not being met). Hyde (2008) observed that people rarely want to spend their vacation at a wrong place; hence, they undertake extensive research related to the destination and its environment. Certain studies have made it very obvious that social networking sites such as, Facebook and micro-blogging sites, such as, Twitter, are beneficial as risk-reducing mechanism, given that interaction among people helps to facilitate effective interpretation of information. Therefore, tourism organisations are increasingly employing these sites as information sources (Brogan and Smith, 2009). In a critical analysis of tourist information use, Kerstetter and Cho (2004) revealed certain contradiction in the findings: according to certain studies, increase in experience related to a destination reduces the need of external information search, while some indicate otherwise. According to Baloglu (2001), first-time travellers depend more on commercial sources of information, while experienced travellers take into account commercial as well as non-commercial sources. In addition, Shanka and Taylor (2004) founded that experienced travellers explore greater information sources that the first-timers, which contradict the consumer behaviour literature. Furthermore, a certain study indicated that greater experience related to a destination does not always reduce tourists’ endeavours towards information search (Lehto, O’Leary and Morrison, 2004). Many authors suggest that individuals often acquire information for the purpose of disseminating to others; for instance, to act as an adviser or to strengthen knowledge base as an act of superiority (Morrison, et al., 2001). Tourist information searches are interdependent and co-related, in terms of places for sightseeing, local food and activities and history of the destination. To a number of tourists, apart from travelling, gathering ample knowledge related to the location is very important so as to maintain a descriptive record of their travel experiences. Such information sources are usually termed as personal sources. There are also impersonal sources of information, but majority of tourists prefer personal information sources (Shanka and Taylor, 2004). Keeping in view the potential influence of online social media on tourism, information search has become an essential part of tourism marketing strategies. According to the author, growing importance of social media has resulted in consideration of it as a foremost tool for online marketing applications in tourism industry (Gretzel, 2006). 4. Theoretical framework This section assesses major theoretical frameworks that can be applied to study and understand social media and its implications on destination marketing. There is a growing competition, similar to that for consumer goods, among countries as well as local tourism destinations in order to gain greater share of tourist attention. The important attributes of social media that dominates the market are: 1. Electronic Word of Mouth 2. Web 2.0 3. Information communication technologies (ICT) (Pan and Crotts, 2012) 4.1. Electronic Word of mouth Interpersonal impact and word-of-mouth (WOM) are considered as most important sources of information when a consumer is making buying decisions. Digital interpersonal influence or electronic WOM is a potentially cost-effective measure for tourism or destination marketing (Litvin, Goldsmith and Pan, 2008). Consumers have powerful interpersonal influence on each other and rapid growth of technologies has proliferated the level of virtual interactions among them (Goldsmith, 2006). The digitization of word-of-mouth has created several opportunities for marketers. The electronic WOM is less expensive, easy to access and facilitates immediate information exchange. It is broader in scope, provides for greater control and has large scale coverage (Dellarocas, 2003). 4.2. Web 2.0 Web 2.0 is a second generation development in World Wide Web. It is a blend of concepts and technologies with main focus directed at collaborating users, sharing user-generated facts and social networking (OReilly, 2009). The important features of Web 2.0 includes availability of user profile pages with details such as, age, gender, location, testimonials of the user and comments by other users. It provides for a platform where users can easily interact as well as subscribe and give feedback to updates of other users. Web 2.0 enables users to post content in various forms such as, blogs, images and flash videos, along with privacy control features (Madasu, 2013). 4.3. Information communication technologies Advancement in internet and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has resulted in dramatic transformation in the tourism sector in the last decade. ICTs empower individuals to select, customise and purchase tourism packages. Alongside that, these support globalisation of the industry by managing and developing offerings worldwide (Buhalis and OConnor, 2005). Effective ICTs facilitates integration of customer relationship management and supply chain management to increase efficiency and reduce cost (Bethapudi, 20113). 5. Research Methodology 5.1. Data Collection In an exploratory research, data collection is an essential component. It makes significant contribution towards reliability and validity of the research. Data for this research need to be gathered from primary as well as secondary sources. Primary data can be obtained through face-to-face and telephonic interview, questionnaire survey and observation. The main sources of secondary data are books, journals, authentic websites, newspaper, articles and online databases. The research will be conducted through questionnaire survey of tourists and frequent travellers so as to have a better perspective of the given scenario (Kumar and Phrommathed, 2005). 5.2. Sampling Sampling is a vital segment of a research paper. A sample is a representative of the total population. It is defined as a subset that represents characteristics of the population in the best manner. Sample shall be selected in such a manner that it assists the researcher to deduce simplified conclusion. The researcher will decide method of selecting sample or sample design. Sample design provides for a definite plan regarding collection of sample. Applying the right sampling method is very important as it should be cost effective and time saving. The interest of exploratory research lies in assessing the reality in a cost-effective manner. In the given scenario, it is best for the researcher to apply convenient sampling, where a sample that is convenient to reach is selected (Kothari, 2004). 5.3. Data collection instrument The researcher has chosen questionnaire survey as the data collection instrument so as to analyse and assess the research problem. The survey will be conducted with tourists that are easily accessible by the researcher. The questionnaire will enable the researcher to access primary data and help him in developing deeper understanding of the situation. An open discussion with participants will allow the researcher to gain a clear perception regarding the topic. 5.4. Research philosophy Since the research paper will involve a detailed analysis of qualitative information collected by the researcher through questionnaire survey, implementation of interpretive philosophy is considered most appropriate. According to this philosophy, a simple fact can have many meanings that are suitable for diverse situations as well as research problems (Johnson and Christensen, 2010). This methodology is important when end result is produced from collected data. The research philosophy takes into account that several factors, such as, living standards, social and cultural environment and social circle, influence the nature of an individual (Saunders, 2003). 5.5. Research approach The researcher has selected inductive research approach for this project for conducting the research successfully. In the inductive approach, researcher attempts to develop a theory on the basis of data collected. The main purpose of selecting inductive approach is to obtain a deeper explanation of the scenario. According to Gray (2009), qualitative research must be associated with inductive research design so that the problem can be explored from different perspectives. 5.6. Questionnaire Questionnaire serves as an appropriate method of primary data collection, which has been used in this research proposal so as to meet set objectives. In general, marketing researches comprise open-ended and close-ended questionnaires. In this research paper, close-ended questionnaire was employed as the appropriate data collection instrument as this includes objective questions that are relatively easy to answer and allow researchers to cover a large area in less time as well as arrange the data as needed (Patton, 2005). 5.7. Ethical consideration The researcher will be responsible for not disclosing information about participants and their respective locations. The researcher will adequately inform potential participants about the intended research and will proceed with their consent. 6. Significance of research The research paper highlights growing importance of social media among tourists and avenues adopted by them to gather greater amount of information. Being exploratory in nature, this research offers useful insights of the online tourism sector, role of internet-based technologies and that of tourism marketers. The research explains a strained relationship between online information providing consumers and tourism industry. The findings of the study suggest that social networking sites are invariably used in online travel information search. Lastly, the research provides an overview of factors that attract travellers towards social media sites, which can prove helpful for tourism operators. 7. Timeline (Source: Author’s creation) Reference List Baloglu, S., 2001. Image variations of Turkey by familiarity index: Informational and experiential dimensions. Tourism Management, 22, pp. 127–133. Bethapudi, A., 2013. The role of ICT in tourism industry. Journal of applied economics and business, 1(4), pp. 67-79. Brogan, C. and Smith, J., 2009. Trust agents: using the web to build influence, improve reputation and earn trust. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. Buhalis, D. and Law, R., 2008. Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—The state of eTourism research. Tourism management, 29(4), pp. 609-623. Buhalis, D. and OConnor, P., 2005. Information communication technology revolutionizing tourism. Tourism recreation research, 30, pp. 7-16. Dellarocas, C., 2003. The digitization of word of mouth: Promise and challenges of online feedback mechanisms. Management Science, 49(10), pp. 1407-1424. Goldsmith, R. E., 2006. Electronic word-of-mouth. Encyclopedia of e-commerce, e-government and mobile commerce, pp. 408-12. Gray, D. E., 2009. Doing research in the real world. UK: Sage. Gretzel, U., 2006. Consumer generated content – trends and implications for branding. e-Review of Tourism Research, 4(3), pp. 9-11. Gursoy, D. and McCleary, K. W., 2004. An integrative model of tourists’ information search behavior. Annals of tourism research, 31(2), pp.353-373. Hyde, K.F., 2008. 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