Impact of Social Networks on Consumers’ Behaviour in the Tourism Sector: A Study Helps to Identify the Impact on Destination Choice

This study primarily aimed to explore how social network sites impact tourists during their destination selection process. The research involved collecting data through a snowball and convenience sampling method, targeting a sample size of 400 from the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The participants were specifically travellers who actively engaged with social media platforms. For data analysis, the PLS-SEM model was estimated. The findings suggest that social media plays a significant role in influencing consumers’ decisions when selecting destinations. Specifically, factors such as performance expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, effort expectancy, price value, trust, facilitating condition and habit were found to significantly affect behavioural intentions related to using social media network sites for choosing destinations. The insights gained from this study aim to assist key stakeholders in the tourism sector by shedding light on tourist behaviours. All entities involved in tourism need to recognize the importance of social media sites in today’s landscape. To effectively reach customers who favour technology-driven solutions, leveraging social networking sites is imperative. Furthermore, integrating social media into marketing strategies allows for providing users with relevant and necessary information. This research focuses on Web-based technologies such as social media and online networks to gain a deeper understanding of how these platforms influence consumers’ decision-making processes regarding destination choices by engaging in meaningful discussions.