Introduction to Social media’s impact on tourism

Discuss about the Research Design and Statistical Analysis.

With the advancement of internet technology and computer, many social media sites have come up. The usage of such social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat, and Instagram has also exploded over the last few years. For instance, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have twenty million active users combined every month in Australia. Fifty percent of the country also log into social media sites at least once a day (Cowling 2017). These social media sites are now not only used as basic internet tools for sharing content. They have evolved to become an essential part of the landscape of media. There are about 2.46 billion social media users, and this number is expected to increase to 2.77 billion in the year 2019 (Chaffey 2018). Against the provided background, this paper will examine the influence of social media towards choosing tourist destination. The researcher will focus on the benefits of social media in promoting tourist destinations and reaching global audiences.

This paper aims to examine how social media can become the primary method for gaining the detailed and fast information for the choice of tourism destinations. This paper would focus on the benefits of the social media promoting tourist destinations for reaching the broader audiences in global audiences. Over the years, people have had different motivations to travel and visit places. However, the recent social media development is a significant addition to the factors that influence the choices of tourist destinations. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the issue further.

The increasing number of young tourists and the rising usage of social media presents an opportunity for the tourism industry in Australia. Therefore, the tourism industry needs to reconsider its communication strategy and the way tourism services and products are delivered. Social media provides a platform for tourists to share their opinions and thoughts about their experiences in different tourism destinations. This information is also readily available to billions of global social media users. Tourists, especially young tourists, see no need to access information from traditional sources such as travel agencies and operators. In fact, social media plays a significant role in informing destination choices for tourists. Most tourist destinations in Sidney still use traditional intermediaries in marketing their products and services. For this reason, they miss on the opportunities created by social media. Therefore, hotels in Sidney need to find new ways of attracting tourists.

Benefits of Social Media promoting tourist destinations

The main objective of this research is to analyze the influence of social media on the choice of destination of tourists. The sub-objectives outlined below are designed to assist the researcher in achieving the primary objective of this research. The researcher will seek to achieve the following objectives:

• To investigate the relationship between desire to travel and social media
• To evaluate the influence of social media on the decision-making process of tourists.
• To assess the factors that influence people’s attitudes to use social media for organizing trips.
• To find out whether social media has a direct influence on behavioral intentions to recommend and use them for trips organization.

Creswell (2014), defines research design as the overall strategy that a researcher chooses to combine the various components of a study logically and coherently, hence ensuring that the researcher will successfully address the research problem. Research design constitutes the plan for data collection, measurement, and analysis of the collected data (Yin 2013). A research design enables a researcher to have total control of the factors that may have an impact on the validity of the findings of the research (Yin 2013).

There are three levels of research design. The three levels are the core function, information requirements, and methodology (Myers et al. 2013). When a researcher considers the core functions of research, the researcher may carry out pure or applied research. On the other hand, if a researcher considers information requirements of the study, the researcher may choose to carry out an exploratory, explanatory, or a descriptive research. Finally, a researcher may use qualitative data, quantitative data, or mixed methods approach when considering methodology of the research.

Pure research is driven by a researcher’s interest or curiosity in a scientific question. The main motivation of a researcher in pure research is to add to the body of knowledge that already exists, and not to invent or create something (Myers et al. 2013). Also, there is no apparent monetary value to the discoveries of pure research. Pure research builds a basic understanding of the area of the research interest. Expressly, pure research lays the foundation for applied research. On the other hand, applied research aims at solving practical problems rather than to only gain knowledge. For instance, the goal of applied research may be to evaluate ways to enhance the efficiency of energy in homes or improve crop production (Myers et al. 2013). Since the goal of this research is primarily to advance knowledge, it is pure research.

Exploratory research is a study of a new occurrence. Exploratory research is a valuable way of understanding a new phenomenon, try to obtain new insight, and evaluate the occurrence in a new way (Blanche, et al. 2012). Case studies and surveys are usually used to carry out exploratory research. In contrast with exploratory research, descriptive research defines questions, the surveyed people, and analysis methods before commencing data collection. Additionally, descriptive research is used to provide an understanding of current problems or issues through the collection of data hence describing the situation thoroughly.

The Need for the Tourism Industry to adapt to Social Media

Explanatory research is used when the focus in on cause and effect relationships (Yin 2013). Explanatory research is based on a theory to answer how and why questions. Explanatory research is interested in explaining, understanding, controlling, and predicting relationships between variables than in determining causes (Yin 2013). This research will be exploratory research since it aims at understanding the influence of social media towards choosing tourist destinations.

Since this is exploratory research, a survey will be used to collect data. Surveys are appropriate in the descriptions of large population characteristics. No other data collection method can offer this comprehensive capability, which ensures that a researcher has precise sample to collect results that are targeted to make conclusions and important decisions (Olsen 2013). Survey method of data collection is used because in this research because surveys are appropriate for reflecting people’s attitudes. Surveys are also suitable for collecting data about the interests of a population. When a researcher wants to understand how people are influenced by a certain phenomenon, surveys provide essential tools for data collection. Also, primary data collected through surveys are simple and easy to analyze.

The researcher anticipates some challenges during data collection. The first challenge is the researcher-respondent partnership, lack of trust, busy personal schedules that may impede data collection, and research logistics. If the mentioned problems arise during data collection, quality assurance will precede data collection. Quality control will ensure that the researcher deals with the issues promptly. Also, collecting data that is less structured may help avoid these problems. Problems are avoided during data collection, the researcher will be able to provide accurate answers to the research questions and validate the research.

There are different types of questions in survey research. The common types of questions are poll, open-ended, closed, multiple choice, ranking, checklists, rating, fill in the blanks, and filter questions. For this research, the researcher will use open-ended questions, multiple choice questions, and ranking. Open-ended questions provide an opportunity to respondents to give a broad range of answers (Hyman & Sierra 2016). This will enable the researcher to find out more about how social media influences tourist destination choices since this is exploratory research.

The researcher will also use multiple choice questions in the survey they intuitive, versatile, and generate data that is clean and easy to analyze. Also, multiple choice questions make it easy for respondents to answer the questions in the survey faster. Finally, the researcher will make use of ranking. Ranking will help measure preferences of the respondents as they are able to rank their opinions on a list of items that are related. It will give the researcher insight into the things that matter to the respondents (Hyman & Sierra 2015). The results of ranking scales can also be easily averaged and ranked numerically.

Objectives of the Research

Sampling is the selection of a specific group to represent the whole population (Ardilly & Tillé 2010). Sampling is divided into non-probability and probability sampling. In non-probability sampling, an individual has no specific probability of being in the sample. On the contrary, probability sampling implies that an individual has a given and known chance of being in the sample. Since this is exploratory research, non-probability sampling will be used. According to Etikan, et al. (2016), non-probability has many limitations because it is subjective in selecting the sample hence it does not represent the whole population. However, it is beneficial when it is not possible to randomize when there is limited resources, workforce, and time (Etikan et al. 2016). Non-probability sampling will be used because of its mentioned advantages.

The research population for this study will be people in Sidney. On the other hand, target population will be people in Sidney who are active users of social media. Sampling procedure for this research will be convenience sampling. Convenience sampling is a type of non-probability sampling. Convenience sampling targets population members who meet feasibility criteria such as availability at a specific time, geographic proximity, easy accessibility, or the willingness to participate (Etikan et al. 2016). Convenience sampling will enable the researcher to have subjects who are easily accessible.

Qualitative research generally needs a smaller sample size. The sample size for this research will be big enough to get feedback for all or most of the perceptions. Obtaining all or most of the opinions will result in saturation attainment (Creswell 2013). Saturation is attained when increasing the sample size does not lead to additional information. Creswell (2014) recommends the saturation concept to achieve a suitable sample size in qualitative research.

Data analysis in this research will be univariate. Univariate analysis will be appropriate for this research because the researcher is interested in the basic result (Zikmund 2014). Since this is a survey, the researcher is interested in how many people said ‘No’ or ‘Yes’, or how many people disagreed or agreed with a statement. Further, the analyzed data will be presented in frequency tables because it is the best way of presenting nominal data (Ardilly & Tillé 2010).

Researchers are required to adhere to ethical behavior when conducting and giving the finding of their research (Gregory 2015). Therefore, researchers need to carry out their studies morally and soundly based on ethical principles that have been laid down. The ethical issues related to the research are falsification and fabrication, and plagiarism. The researcher will adhere to ethical standards while carrying out this research.

Overview of Research Design and Methodology

Ethical issues related to the subjects are anonymity, confidentiality, and privacy. The researcher will promise the respondents that their confidential information will be protected. If any information is to be revealed, the respondents’ consent will be sought. These rules are followed to ensure that everyone is choosing to take part in the research willingly and that they are informed fully about the research procedures and any probable risks.

The data that will be collected for this research will be used to carry out analysis to determine whether social media influence tourist destination choices. The researcher is responsible for protecting the data that may reveal identities of subjects such as signatures in consent agreements. The researcher will ensure that the data is under secure storage. To guarantee secure storage, the researcher will protect passwords to control access to the data records. After the collected data has fulfilled the objectives of the research, effective ways of data destruction will be used. All data collected on paper will be shredded while electronic data will be permanently deleted. However, if the plans of the research require that the data is retained, the data will be stored safely in locked cabinets.

Reference List

Ardilly, P. & Tillé, Y., 2010. Sampling Methods: Exercises and Solutions. 5th ed. London: Springer.

Blanche, M. T., Durrheim, K. & Painter, D., 2012. Research in Practice: Applied Methods for the Social Sciences. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications.

Chaffey, D., 2018. Global social media research summary 2018, New York: Applied Research Center.

Cowling, D., 2017. Social network influences on young tourists: An exploratory analysis of determinants of the purchasing intention. Journal of Marketing and Accounting, XV(1), pp. 56-109.

Creswell, J. W., 2013. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. 3rd ed. New York: SAGE.

Creswell, J. W., 2014. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Approaches. 4th ed. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Etikan, I., Musa, A. & Alkassim, R. S., 2016. Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 6(IV), pp. 125-197.

Gregory, I., 2015. Ethical Considerations and their Applications to Research. Journal of Educational Policy and Entrepreneurial Research, VII(1), pp. 1-9.

Hyman, M. R. & Sierra, J. J., 2015. Open Versus Close-ended Survey Questions. Journal of Research, XIV(2), pp. 34-125.

Myers, J. L., Well, A. D. & Lorch, R. F., 2013. Research Design and Statistical Analysis. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge.

Olsen, W., 2013. Data Collection: Key Debates and Methods in Social Research. 1st ed. Chicago: SAGE.

Yin, R. K., 2013. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. 5th ed. London: SAGE Publications.

Zikmund, W. G., 2014. Basic Data Analysis. Journal of Research, V(6), pp. 4-7.