Social Media's Influence On How People Research Trips

Social media has contributed to how people research trips, make well-informed decisions and share experiences that are specific to them. Since social media consists of user-generated content, the online community sees social media as reliable and authentic. “In this era of social media, the Internet has evolved from a broadcasting medium to a participatory platform which allows people to become the “media” themselves for collaborating and sharing information” (Leung et al. 3). Social media users can post text, images, and even videos to tell others about their experiences and inform whether their experiences were up to their expectations or not. “… The evolution of Web 1.0 – 2.0 marks a shift from ‘users rather than organizations taking charge [of the Internet]” (Hays et al. 212). Users obtain more control than the actual businesses within the tourism industry because social media has changed the entire industry. Real-life users create what is being posted to social media sites, creating an aspect of trust that draws users to believing and understanding what they are reading or viewing. Social media …show more content…
“… Travelers consider [word of mouth] trustworthy and tend to be more influenced by this type of information than by commercial sources” (Leung et al. 8) However, it has been found that there is a greater amount of information pertaining to travel within online travel communities, rather than a generic social media site, because one’s immediate social circle has boundaries. “Through searching the content on social media, consumers [can] collect travel information from friends and relatives who are within their social network” (Leung et al. 8). But social media users can also obtain a widespread of information from other users around the