The Impact of Social Media on Tourists’ Behavioural Intentions Case Hostel Café Koti
Evans, Nora (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025060219279
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025060219279
Tiivistelmä
With the influence of social media on tourists' decision-making power, and billions of users relying on various social media platforms for travel inspirations, ideas and recommendations, social media plays a notable role in shaping tourists’ travel preferences and behavioural intentions to visit a destination. This thesis studied the influence social media has on tourists' behavioural intentions, identifying influential social media platforms, demographic factors, and effects on travel destination choices to optimise digital marketing plans for Hostel Café Koti in Rovaniemi, Finland.
This study identified how social media influences tourists’ decisions to visit Hostel Café Koti, highlighting the importance of social media platforms, demographic factors and online content play in defining their behavioural intentions and travel choices. A quantitative study design was used in this the-sis to better understand the influence of social media on the viewpoints and behaviours of tourists with Hostel Café Koti in Rovaniemi as the case study. The data collection used an online questionnaire completed by 123 participants and these participants included tourists who already visited Hostel Café Koti or planned to visit later.
The result revealed that Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, TripAdvisor and Twitter (X) serve as primary social media platforms for travel information, while visual contents like photos, videos and influencer posts strongly influenced tourist choices. Additionally, demographic factors like age, cultural background and socioeconomic status somewhat influenced travel decisions where positive reviews, personal stories and influencer endorsements played a huge part in influencing destination choices. The research established that Hostel Café Koti should optimise its social media presence and use influencer marketing while encouraging user-generated content, managing online reputation and addressing diverse demographic needs to boost visibility, engagement and drive bookings for business growth.
This study identified how social media influences tourists’ decisions to visit Hostel Café Koti, highlighting the importance of social media platforms, demographic factors and online content play in defining their behavioural intentions and travel choices. A quantitative study design was used in this the-sis to better understand the influence of social media on the viewpoints and behaviours of tourists with Hostel Café Koti in Rovaniemi as the case study. The data collection used an online questionnaire completed by 123 participants and these participants included tourists who already visited Hostel Café Koti or planned to visit later.
The result revealed that Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, TripAdvisor and Twitter (X) serve as primary social media platforms for travel information, while visual contents like photos, videos and influencer posts strongly influenced tourist choices. Additionally, demographic factors like age, cultural background and socioeconomic status somewhat influenced travel decisions where positive reviews, personal stories and influencer endorsements played a huge part in influencing destination choices. The research established that Hostel Café Koti should optimise its social media presence and use influencer marketing while encouraging user-generated content, managing online reputation and addressing diverse demographic needs to boost visibility, engagement and drive bookings for business growth.