THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS IN ENHANCING DOMESTIC TOURISM IN ALGERIA

This article attempts to analyze the impact of digital communication, particularly social networks and travel management platforms, on the promotion and revitalization of domestic tourism in Algeria. The methodology used is mainly, but not exclusively, based on a questionnaire survey of tour operators and regular tourists. The questionnaire was designed online using Google Forms and distributed on various online platforms specialized in tourism. 114 valid questionnaires were retrieved and statistically analyzed using SPSS. The main results clearly show the growing role that digital communication is playing in creating a new culture of domestic tourism. 78% of respondents stated that they were influenced by this digital strategy when choosing their destinations. The use of digital social networks, particularly Facebook and Instagram, together account for around 80-85% of responses. These results illustrate how social media and online platforms are reorganizing the tourism value chain on the one hand and changing the customer experience on the other, which is essential for understanding the new tourism expectations and behaviors, as it is a consumer-centric approach. The study suggests that tourism marketing strategies should focus more on partnerships with local influencers to boost domestic tourism and develop local tourism programs that focus on archeological, historical, cultural, religious and environmental values.