Exploring Rural Tourism Experiences from Social Marketing and Happiness Management Perspective: A Survival Analysis with Instagram

This research examines the influence of Instagram on rural tourism in Spain. It focuses explicitly on how tourists’ photos on Instagram impact the perception and popularity of Spain’s most visited rural towns. The study aims to understand how the emotional engagement elicited by these photographs and the context shown contribute to the survival and impact of rural tourism destination posts on Instagram from a social marketing perspective. The main findings reveal that Instagram plays a significant role in shaping tourists’ expectations and experiences. The study utilizes survival analysis to assess the message characteristics that generate more survival time or posts that are more active by their comments related to rural tourism. It was found that posts with positive emotional appeal, conversational type, and scenic beauty tend to have more extended survival rates, indicating sustained interest and engagement from the audience. The conclusions drawn from the research highlight the importance of Instagram as a social marketing tool for rural tourism. Destinations can enhance their appeal and attract more visitors by leveraging the emotional and visual aspects of Instagram posts from a social marketing perspective. This insight is crucial for developing more effective marketing strategies with the evolving preferences of modern tourists.