Redefining Tourist Perception: Analyzing Social Media’s Influence in Transforming Tourism Marketing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64807/pqcwz518Abstract
Social media has emerged as a key channel for marketing, information exchange, and communication in the current digital environment. Its widespread impact also extends to the travel and tourism sector, where it is essential for determining travelers' attitudes, inclinations, and choices. To remain relevant and competitive, tourism marketers must adapt their approaches as travelers increasingly rely on digital channels to inform their decisions. This study examined how social media affects the travel-related attitudes and behaviors of Filipino visitors. This quantitative descriptive study examined 403 Filipino tourists. The findings indicate that the majority of respondents were young adults aged 18 to 24, predominantly women. Most participants resided in urban areas, were employed, were pursuing their studies, had completed college degrees, and reported low to moderate income levels. Among social media platforms, TikTok emerged as the most influential source of travel inspiration, underscoring the growing importance of short-form video content in tourism marketing. Respondents assessed social media material based on accessibility, credibility, destination identification, informativeness, and interactiveness. Credibility and interactiveness were scored lower than accessibility and informativeness, which were rated higher. Interestingly, a large majority of participants said they had changed their plans based on online articles, and nearly half said social media influenced most of their travel decisions. Moreover, age, educational attainment, and social media platform usage significantly influenced tourists’ perceptions, whereas gender showed no significant difference. The study concludes that social media serves as an effective and powerful instrument for promoting tourism. Thus, content creators should consider improving credibility to easily influence the modern tourist, contributing to more targeted and impactful tourism campaigns.
Keywords:
Social Media, Tourist Perception, Travel Decision-Making, Tourism Marketing, Filipino TravelersReferences
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jhennika Mae Biasbas, Lyza Mae A. Fulla, Rowel C. Jagdon, Stephanie Mhyles S. Malate, Shaun Bastien N. Canon, Dr. Rovena I. Dellova (Author)
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