THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON PEOPLE'S TRAVEL DECISIONS

Abstract This paper examines the role of trust in social media influencers’ SMI on the decision-making behavior of customers in the context of the tourism industry. The research examines the role of SMI trust in the overall customer journey, without limiting the study to only direct effects, but more than that. Investigating factors of trust in a novel or rather digital space, this study seeks to explore, how clients’ views of SMIs impact their travel purchase behavior from the first acquaintance with the destination to the ultimate purchase of that travel product. In this study, both qualitative and quantitative means were utilized in gathering data using a self-administered structured questionnaire on a survey and oral interview approach. Survey Monkey was used for the distribution of the surveys, while Arbert Transformer was applied during analysis in the interview phase. About two-thirds of the respondents indicated that they considered SMIs when making a travel decision. The study findings confirm that SMI trust is integral to travel choice behavior. The insights from the study further emphasize the growing need for SMIs in the tourism sector, addressing the issue of SMIs from a marketing perspective and seeking to enhance customer trust through the influencer approach.