Roles of Social Media in Tourism

Kc, Ranjana Tumsingmagar

4. term

Tourism, Master

2022

2022-05-31

40

Social media has changed tourism by connecting customers and suppliers in new ways. This thesis examines the roles social media plays in the relationship between consumers and suppliers, and how it affects information flows and decision-making in the industry. It identifies changes driven by easier access to information for users and describes how tourism agents and businesses are adapting to these shifts. The study uses a qualitative research design with an inductive approach: a small dataset was coded to develop patterns and themes, which were then considered alongside existing literature. Although the study has limitations, the findings offer useful insights into how social media is shaping practices in the tourism industry. Finally, the thesis outlines directions for future research on the use of social media data, the influence of platform algorithms, and related ethical issues.

Sociale medier har ændret turisme ved at forbinde kunder og udbydere på nye måder. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvilken rolle sociale medier spiller i relationen mellem forbrugere og udbydere, og hvordan det påvirker informationsstrømme og beslutninger i branchen. Den kortlægger, hvilke forandringer der opstår, når brugere får lettere adgang til information, og beskriver, hvordan turismeaktører tilpasser sig disse ændringer. Afhandlingen bygger på en kvalitativ metode med en induktiv tilgang: Et mindre datamateriale blev kodet og organiseret i mønstre og temaer, som derefter blev holdt op mod eksisterende litteratur. Selv om undersøgelsen har begrænsninger, giver den værdifuld indsigt i, hvordan sociale medier påvirker praksis i turismebranchen. Afslutningsvis peger afhandlingen på behov for videre forskning i brugen af data fra sociale medier, platformenes algoritmer og de etiske spørgsmål, der følger med.

[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

social media, information asymmetries, destination discovery, sustainable tourism, travelling etiquettes

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