Digital Influence : Social Media’s Impact on Gen Z Travel Intentions

Sammanfattning

This research paper set out to examine how social media influences the travel behaviour of Gen Z tourists. The role of digital platforms in tourism planning is growing, which is why this study will address the following research question: In what ways does social media influence Gen Z tourists’ travel intentions and/or behaviours? To answer this question, a qualitative abductive research design was used. Twelve structured interviews were conducted with European Gen Z respondents, focusing on social media usage, trust, and travel-related decision-making. The findings showed that social media influences travel behaviour in multiple ways. It influences how destinations are perceived through visual content. Additionally, social media platforms play a big role in how Gen Z tourists evaluate and verify the authenticity of the information brought forward in user-generated content and influencer marketing. Lastly, it activates both push- and pull-motivations. The study concludes that Gen Z actively engages with social media content. It contributes to the formation of perception, and can provide motivational triggers that help the conversion of interest into actual behaviour. The findings contribute to existing tourism literature by showing exactly how online credibility and the way we see digital content can influence modern-day travel choices. Future studies should now look into how different apps affect that process, how AI-generated content is changing tourism, and how these digital influences may change over time.