نوع مقاله : پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 استاد مدیریت دانشگاه شهید باهنر کرمان، کرمان، ایران
2 دانش آموخته کارشناسی ارشد مدیریت، دانشگاه شهید باهنر کرمان، کرمان، ایران
3 استادیار مدیریت، دانشگاه شهید باهنر کرمان، کرمان، ایران
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Recent years have experienced fundamental change in methods by which tourists access, use, and disseminate information, becoming largely contingent upon social media platforms. These platforms have effectively shape the perceptions, sentiments, and expectations of the pubic. Therefore, they are considered a critical information source for making decisions on the travels. About 78.5% of the Iranians use at least one messaging application (with WhatsApp at 71.1%, and Instagram and Telegram at 49.4% and 31.6%, respectively). This suggests a significant opportunity for leveraging these technology-based media for the promotion of domestic tourism and the attraction of international tourists. This potential will be of great significant in the post-pandemic era for travel to tourism-centric cities like historical city of Shiraz. The Statistical Centre of Iran (1401/2022) states that Shiraz holds the fourth rank in domestic travel, registering 578,529 visits, following Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan. By identifying and reinforcing the factors that influence the motivation to social media sharing of travel experiences, visitors to these cities are encouraged to share their experiences and promote Iran’s tourist attractions to a broader audience. This study tried to identify the factors influencing the motivation to share travel experiences via social media, focusing on tourists that visit visiting the historical and cultural complexes of Shiraz. This issue seems to be a significant research gap.
Method
This applied quantitative research used a correlational design. The data were collected through questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
The statistical population is unlimited, as it entails all those who visited the city of Shiraz during the Iranian year 1399 and the first half of 1400 (approximately March 2020 to September 2021) and shared their travel experiences on Instagram, Telegram, or WhatsApp. Consulting the Morgan table, the size of sample was determined to be 384 individuals. Moreover, the secondary data were collected through archival sources, while primary data were collected through the random distribution of a travel experience sharing questionnaire over the selected social networks. Totally, 384 complete questionnaires were filled out and analyzed.
Results
The results showed that eight key factors have a positive influence on the motivation of social media sharing of travel experiences: including group affiliation, shared values, conformity, perceived enjoyment/pleasure, altruistic motivations, personal self-actualization/fulfillment, interaction environment, and personal factors. These findings were in line with the related findings of previous studies. However, sufficient evidence was not obtained to support a negative effect from the factors of interaction environment and privacy preservation, leading to the non-confirmation of the seventh and tenth research hypotheses. This means that in the specific community of this study, these latter factors do not act as a deterrent to sharing travel experiences. A possible explanation for this may be the imposed limitations of traditional mass communication channels and media, compelling many individuals, especially tourists, to lack an alternative channel or medium for exchanging opinions. On the other hand, a form of self-censorship exists among Iranian users on sharing opinions and experiences. Users have learned through experience to present content on social networks that will not incur negative repercussions. Moreover, there is a general public belief that sharing non-political content will not create problems. Therefore, despite concerns related to the disclosure or misuse of personal information and the infringement of intellectual property rights, users continue to share their experiences.
Discussion and Conclusion
Based on the empirical results, it is asserted that increasing awareness among tourism stakeholders, tourists, and host communities—particularly in a city like Shiraz—regarding the role of social networks in tourism development and promotion will reinforce the inclination to share travel experiences of the city and consequently attract a greater number of tourists. Additionally, the strengthening of infrastructure, the mitigation of social network filtering limitations, and the enhancement of tourists' skills in sharing travel experiences on social networks are recommended. By venturing into one of the nascent fields of tourism studies, this research is poised to foster increased interest among scholars and enthusiasts in the study of social media-based tourism.
کلیدواژهها English