Social Influences in Tourist Destination Choice: An Empirical Informatics-Based Analysis Using SPSS

Understanding how social influences shape tourist destination selection has become increasingly important in the era of digital platforms and networked decision-making.This study develops a comprehensive framework integrating reference group influence, social media interaction, and socio-cultural environment factors, and empirically tests their effects on destination choice using SPSS-based statistical modeling.A structured questionnaire was distributed to tourists, and the collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression techniques.The results demonstrate that (1) reference groups, including family, friends, and tourism communities, exert a direct and significant impact on travel choices; (2) social media platforms amplify information dissemination and user-generated content, strongly guiding destination awareness and preference; and (3) cultural values, social trends, and major events significantly influence destination attractiveness and decision-making.Collectively, these findings confirm that social factors are key drivers of tourism logistics and service demand, with implications for data-driven destination marketing and tourism service management.The study contributes to both theoretical understanding and practical strategies by offering evidence-based insights for tourism enterprises, social media platforms, and destination managers to enhance competitiveness through social-influence-informed decision support systems.