Understanding the Social Media Use in Travel: Pre-, In- and Post- Travel (Esitys World Tourism Conferencessa, Athens Greece 16.-18.11. 2019)

Abstract

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</p><p>Social media play a significant role in the development of the tourism industry; especially in shaping traveller’s behaviour during the stages of travel. This study aims to explore the motivators for using social media at pre-, in- and post-travel stages from the uses and gratifications perspective. In this qualitative study, 12 international students were interviewed who were both social media users and travellers. The results show that technology gratification, content gratification, and social gratification are solid motivators for travellers to use social media. Further, the motivators vary at different stages of travel. The findings of this research generate additional insights into individuals’ social media use following different stages and provide a deeper understanding of travellers’ social media use according to their travel stages. This study also offers some practical advice for tourism operators on how to promote social media use in travel.</p><p>

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