Social Media and Destination Branding in Tourism: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Under the impact of technological innovations, particularly the Internet, ways of communication have been changing. In fact, social media has been offering virtual communities and networks that enable the creation and dissemination of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression. Furthermore, it clearly plays an important role in the communication strategy of the various stakeholders of the tourism industry. It is vital to create and maintain destination branding not only traditionally but also in the virtual society. This study conducted a systematic review of the literature in order to synthesize the contributions of scholars within the field of place branding and social media, explore current lines of inquiry, and propose avenues for future research. The findings pointed out that there has been a steady extension of the number of the related publications during the last 11 years. Multiple tourist destinations and platforms are included in the research, which leads to a better understanding of different points of view. A total of 114 English-language peer-reviewed academic journal articles are included in this review and categorized into five key themes, examining: (1) destination brand strategy, (2) user-generated content, (3) cognitive dimensions, (4) affective dimensions, and (5) behavioural dimensions. This study also outlines some future research trends.

Social Media and Influencer Marketing for Promoting Sustainable Tourism Destinations: The Instagram Case

“…Using the approach of the International Union for Conservation of Nature [66], these 30 selected countries/destinations are defined as sustainable due to their high socioeco-nomic performance and low environmental pressure footprint, presenting an overall score of more than 65% on the sustainable development index (65-75% as strong sustainability indicator, while 75-85% as very strong sustainability level) [78]. Moreover, based on Tran and Rudolf's recent research that spotted the majority of sustainable destinations to be concentrated firstly in Europe and Asia [79], 22 of this sample's sustainable destinations are in Europe (Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Estonia, United Kingdom, Poland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovenia, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Hungary) while the remaining eight are located in Asia (Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, China) as presented in the Sustainable Development Report Rankings 2022 [77].…”

“…As a result, an ad hoc Instagram account was generated to follow the 200 influencers [79]. As a result, 10 popular macro-travel influencers-a new type of influencer specialized in traveling with 50,000-150,000 followers on Instagram, that present a level of engagement of more than eight and likes per post of more than 20,000-were selected to form the independent variable [79].…”

“…As a result, an ad hoc Instagram account was generated to follow the 200 influencers [79]. As a result, 10 popular macro-travel influencers-a new type of influencer specialized in traveling with 50,000-150,000 followers on Instagram, that present a level of engagement of more than eight and likes per post of more than 20,000-were selected to form the independent variable [79]. The selection of the macro-travel influencers was based on the recent findings by Statista [13], where Instagram alone accounts for over 500,000 active influencers with more than 15,000 followers, which constitutes 39% of all Instagram accounts.…”

“…Marketers of sustainable tourism destinations could also benefit from the study's findings since Instagram is widely used for many destination marketing campaigns [79]. They could identify Instagram travel influencers with high parasocial interactions able to reach specific audiences in order to promote a sustainable destination, boost its brand image, and increase its inbound tourism.…”

Digitalization, Branding, and Network Collaboration Strategy among SMTEs: Preliminary Qualitative Analysis

“…The various destinations and travel platforms included in the study showed a better understanding of destination branding strategies, creative content, and destination identity as driving factors in destination promotion. The choice of destination branding must be in line with its potential, representing attractions and values while showcasing the uniqueness that sets it apart from other destinations (Tran &;Rudolf, 2022;Seraphin et al, 2018).…”