TOURISM DESTINATION BRANDING IN THE DIGITAL AGE: EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON DESTINATION IMAGE AND VISITOR PERCEPTIONS

Abstract

Social media have significantly influenced Tourism Branding across the globe. This study is about destination advertising, digital platforms, and visitor perceptions to assess how the digital age has transformed destination images. Social media’s immense potential lies in its interactive nature, visual storytelling, and user-generated material's credibility and influence by referencing empirical data and insights from numerous pertinent research. Visual storytelling through high-resolution images and videos has become popular on social media websites like Facebook and Instagram, attracting potential tourists. The study employs a cross-sectional research design vis-à-vis quantitative surveys and in-depth interviews and concluded that the interactive nature of social media efficiently engages the audience and encourages a lively and interactive relationship with the location. These interactive strategies foster a sense of involvement and connection by adhering to established destination marketing concepts. Social media user-generated content significantly impacts visitor perceptions and expectations and is credible. This study emphasizes the reliability of user-generated material and how important it is to branding. Potential visitors frequently have faith in the accounts of other tourists, and this faith is crucial in shaping views and expectations of a destination. After examining its distinctive effects, we confirm that each social media site draws various audiences with a range of tastes. While Facebook and Twitter provide useful, educational content that affects itinerary planning, Instagram's aesthetic nature draws a younger, experienced travel-oriented clientele. The study shows that social media has measurable effects on visitor behaviour and enhances the overall travel experience rather than only influencing perception. This study is about branding the tourist destination in this age of digital and social media where social media is used to create and share interactive content across the globe and how social media platforms are revolutionizing the tourism industry.