RESEARCH PROPOSAL

“Influence of social media on the purchase related

decisions of tourists in India”

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CHAPTER 1

1.1 Introduction
Nowadays, individuals are looking for new methods to gather information while on the road.
Since the industrial revolution, people's desire to see the globe has only increased. Diverse
locations captivate travellers. As communication and information technology advances, more
people are becoming aware of new places to visit. It has lowered the time and costs of finding
information, as well as the cost of travel, by making more data available on where and how to
go. Consumers may take use of social media as a valuable resource. It has performed a clever
function by utilising current technological developments. The tourist industry has grown
tremendously in the last decade. It is one of the world's newest and fastest-growing industries.
New locations have been added to the list of places to visit thanks to the advancements in ICT in
contemporary tourism. In light of these developments, tourism is now the driving force behind
socioeconomic advancement.

Developing countries like India benefit greatly from the tourism industry's contribution to global
trade. India is a famous tourist destination not just because of its rich culture and history, but also
because of its stunning natural scenery, magnificent architecture, and mystifying spiritual beliefs.
Job possibilities, money generation, and a growth in GDP are all a result of it. Foreigners are
drawn to it, and it helps them comprehend the country's geography and history.

There are several opportunities in tourism, which may be summarised as

Tourism for Business: Delegates attend meetings, exhibits, business programmes, incentive trips,
and corporate travel each year during business tourism.

Medical Travel: When a patient travels to another country for medical treatment, this is referred
to as medical tourism.

Tourism of the Arts: Cultural tourism entails attendance at various cultural events, such as art
and craft exhibitions and festivals. It inspires individuals to discover and comprehend the variety
of India and the world.

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Tourism for Adventure: It entails thrilling excursions to unfamiliar locations in order to take
calculated risks.

Tourism Based on the Environment: Ecotourism is defined as "travelling to conserved natural

regions, visiting eco-friendly environments, and so improving the well-being of indigenous
people." Additionally, ecotourism contributes to public awareness of environmental damage.

Tourism Based on Sports: It refers to international or national travel for the purpose of
participating in a sporting activity.

Tourism Based on Religion: Religious tourism occurs when an individual goes to hallowed
locations on pilgrimage.

Digital advertising, such as the kind seen on social media platforms, has emerged as one of the
most successful ways to reach consumers on the internet. All across the world, people see this
sort of commercial. It's the quickest and most innovative method to advertise. The internet now
makes it possible to advertise goods and services directly on a variety of websites. It is also
possible to use pay-per-click advertising. Ads on social media are designed to pique the interest
of potential buyers by being presented in a novel way. For the most part, clients prefer social
media advertising over more traditional forms of advertising like radio or television commercials
or advertisements in periodicals. These types of advertisements include banners and pop-ups in
addition to the more traditional text and picture ad formats. All of these commercials have a
significant advantage over more traditional forms of advertising. The frequency of visits to a
website and the amount of time spent on a particular website are both calculated using numerous
factors such as hits and clicks.

For determining a customer's purchasing intention, social media ad reviews are an important
aspect. Consumers and businesses alike may use these reviews to make informed decisions about
a wide range of products and services. Customer reviews and ratings have been shown to be a
popular pastime for many consumers. This contributes to the development of positive or negative
electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), which aids clients in making purchase decisions.

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This research studies and investigates how social media effects customers' behaviour and their
buying decisions in the Indian travel and tourism business, specifically in the travel and tourism
industry. As a medium for sharing and consuming information, social media has emerged as a
popular choice. Consumers are increasingly using social media to share their Christmas shopping
and travel experiences, as well as to offer reviews and ratings. According to this study, the
function and effectiveness of social networking sites in delivering travel and tourism-related
information to Indian customers are being investigated. This study also investigates how internet
reviews affect a consumer's attitude toward a product and their buying choice.

CHAPTER 2

2.1 Problem Statement

Through its virtual capabilities, internet has allowed travellers to find new ways of finding
information in the last 15 years. Use of mass media and digital word-of-mouth communications
are among the various physical and digital resources that may be accessed to gather information.
Because so many people are drawn to travelling and staying in diverse places, the tourism and
hospitality business cannot be left out. For the tourist industry, experts have acknowledged the
relevance of social media as well as emphasised the various ways in which social media may be
utilised (Hjalager, 2010; Ruzic & Bilos, 2010). The purpose of this research is to explore the
impact of social media on travel consumers' decision-making processes. The study's purpose is to
better understand social media and to highlight the relevance of various advantages of various
social networking sites for aiding consumers in their decision-making practises, therefore the
researcher proposes to perform the research.

In addition to accurate and timely information, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
offer a wealth of rich material such as photographs, videos, and audio clips. You don't have to
shell out a lot of money for this method. When it comes to making travel decisions, there are
several studies that show that social media has a significant influence on various elements of
consumer behaviour. Despite this, all of the research are focused on a single sort of social media,
a single application, or a single stage in the decision-making or travel process. The overall
picture of how customers utilise social media and their influence at all stages of the travel
process and during all stages of decision making remains unclear, despite the advantages of such

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micro techniques. This study intends to investigate the influence of social media on consumer
tourist sector decision-making in order to fill this knowledge gap.

Some of the problems includes are:

 Negative feedback tarnishes the brand.

 Ads are heavily relied upon.
 Time-consuming.
 It is necessary to be involved and active.
 Measurement is difficult.
 Policy concerns about security and privacy.

2.2 Research Questions

What is the impact of social media on the purchase related decisions of tourists in India?

How popular social media is in India?

Do social media increase the revenue in the field of tourism?

What is impact of Social media on Customer purchase decision?

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CHAPTER 3

3.1 Aim & Objective

The fundamental goal of this research would be to present a comprehensive and integrated
picture of the influence of social media on the purchasing decisions of Indian visitors.

The following are the study's research objectives:

 To ascertain the extent to which travellers in India are influenced by tourism-related

information accessible on social media platforms.
 To investigate the influence of social media on consumer decisions about tourism services.
 To determine the level of satisfaction of consumers on social media in regard to tourism
services.
 To investigate the impact of social media advertising on consumer purchasing decisions.
 To determine the major elements influencing customer purchase intentions as impacted by
social media.

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CHAPTER 4: Literature

4.1 Social Media and Tourism

Tourism relies heavily on information, so keeping up with technological advancements that
affect how and where travel-related materials are disseminated and accessed is critical (Xiang &
Gretzel, 2010). Since social media allows customers to access a wider range of information
sources, including blogs and tweets that are both good and negative in nature, they leave an
imprint on the reader's mind. A study has showed people are more trusting of personal sources
than commercial sources of information (Subramani & Rajagopalan, 2003).

The writers of the literature have stressed the significant advantages of the internet as an
effective communication medium in the hotel and tourist industries (Schuckert et al, 2015).
Because the online tourism and hospitality market benefits both providers and visitors, it is
possible that this is one of the most important factors contributing to the fast rise of online
transactions in the travel and tourism industries. The travel and tourism sector has seen a
dramatic growth in both the number of travellers and the amount spent on travel and tourism
over the last 15 years, according to research conducted during that period (Sigala et al, 2012).
Since then, tourists have grown more engaged and worried about the information provided on
social media, which has resulted in a significant reduction in the time it takes them to make a
decision (Bayram & Sahbaz, 2012). To be sure, there is little doubt that comments made on
social media have a huge impact on travellers' opinions (Lopez et al., 2011). Collaborative social
media sharing and annotation of travel stories and experiences has become a popular practise
among travellers nowadays (Xiang & Gretzel, 2010). More than 85% of leisure travellers have
used the internet to plan their vacations, according to recent data (Leung et al, 2013).

4.2 Consumer Purchase Decision

According to Wang and Yu (2015), there are both negative and good evaluations about a service
or product, and this has an impact on the consumer's choice to acquire the service or product. In
social media, word of mouth has a significant influence on a consumer's decision to acquire a
certain product or service. As a consequence, word-of-mouth is a valuable tool when it comes to
promoting a product or service on social networking sites. In the study's conclusions, one of the
most critical variables in marketing was found to be word of mouth. The outcomes of this study
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have also led to the development of a framework model, with word of mouth functioning as an
important component.

Using the prior theoretical form of research on social media ads and consumer purchasing
intention, Harshini (2015) demonstrated the analysis of the previous theoretical form of research.
This research demonstrates a few characteristics of social media advertising as well as its impact
on customers' purchasing intentions. Analysis of the consumer's reaction to social media
advertising is done in conjunction with the consumer's purchase intention. Social networking site
users, according to the research, find this marketing method to be very engaging, and they are
also showing interest in the strategy by reacting to commercials and making purchases as a
consequence of advertisements.

According to Balakrishnan, Dahnil & Yi (2014), online communities, electronic word of mouth,
diversified internet communication, and online exposure all contribute significantly to building a
positive brand image and raising customers' purchase intentions via social media. In order to
attract clients of the younger generation, marketing managers must consider social media to be
the most effective sales instrument available. A product marketer may use this study to get
information about their competitors before using it to a social media marketing approach to
market their goods. . Younger people are more likely to utilise social media than older people
because they are more aware of the newest technological advances than those in their late teens
and early twenties. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved: both the advertiser and the
target audience benefit.

In comparison to other forms of mass media, Lee (2013) highlighted that buyers spend more time
on social media sites looking for information about a product than they do on other forms of
mass media. The search is more subjective and discriminating in nature than in the past. The
advertisements on social media platforms also give a platform for comparing products with those
of other firms, a feature that is appreciated by practically all social media users. Product
specifications are also provided in depth, which allows buyers to have a thorough understanding
of the product and to do extensive comparisons based on the specifications that they are
interested in.

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An analysis done between Facebook and Twitter groups, according to Martinka (2012), was
displayed. Both are well-known social networking sites, and they both have an impact on the
shopping behaviour of consumers as well. A poll was done using a 3-point Likert scale to learn
about the many applications of social media, and the results were published online. Customers'
conventional online purchases were found to be under the influence or direction of the group
active in social media, according to the final results. In addition, the survey reveals that
Facebook has a bigger influence on consumers' online purchasing behaviour when compared to
Twitter. Social media networks are therefore an extremely significant target audience in the
online marketplace.

Drell (2011) indicated that, out of a total of 100%, the largest amount of information sharing
among online buyers was 20%, with the majority of those sharing being teens who are loyal to
the companies. The dissemination of information is accomplished through the use of various
technological devices. Despite the fact that the minimal information sharing rate was 80 percent
and that the majority of participants were older folks who were solely concerned with quality
rather than brand, The data also revealed that youngsters are not only interested in purchasing the
items, but they are also suggesting the products to others, which, from the company's
perspective, is extremely positive. The older generation is unable to enjoy as much as they would
want since they are not aware of the shifting trends in technology and instead rely on and place
their confidence in the conventional methods of purchasing in stores or at markets.

According to Webster (2011), twenty-five percent of social media users make purchases from
their favourite companies through various social networking sites, with Facebook serving as the
most popular brand page for the majority of these individuals. Consumers are increasingly
turning to social networking sites for information about any product or service, according to the
findings of the study. When it comes to social media, the majority of the public has a higher level
of faith in Facebook since it provides more fascinating and handy features when compared to
other social networking sites. As a result, it makes it very simple for customers to purchase the
items of their choosing, while also allowing them to read reviews about the things they are
considering purchasing. This contributes to the development of consumer confidence, which
ultimately results in the acquisition of the bulk of the client base.

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Customer buying behaviour in the tourist industry, according to Fotis (2015), has been defined as
influenced by social media in the tourism industry. According to the findings of the study, social
media platforms are often utilised for holiday planning. To assist customers in selecting the best
destination for a visit, they might look at social media advertisements that provide suggestions.
Customer preferences and buying intentions are tracked and analysed through social media,
which allows businesses to better understand their customers' tastes and purchasing intentions.
Businesses also attempt to provide customers with choices and preferences that are tailored to
their purchasing intentions and travel patterns.

Social media provides a venue for customers to communicate information via electronic word of
mouth, suggestions, and evaluations, as shown in a research by Hoyer et al. (2010). Because of
this, it has emerged those social media users' opinions and recommendations are incredibly
significant to customers. Group trust is strengthened as a result, and this in turn influences
purchase decisions. As an alternative, it illustrates how the growth or decline of positive or
negative electronic word-of-mouth impacts customer purchase intentions by having a large effect
on a limited number of qualities, such as trust, incentives, satisfaction, and credibility.

It has been found that marketing on social media have a substantial impact on consumers,
especially those who make their first purchase through social media. In order to thoroughly
investigate and compare high-end products before making a purchase, social media ads are quite
helpful. Because of this, people will constantly seek out information about products and services
via social media and will always seek out favourable word of mouth before purchasing or using
any service.

Before, during and after the trip are three distinct stages in which tourists create their travel
experiences via social media platforms, according to Milano et al. (2011). As part of this process,
purchasers may utilise social media to ask questions and read feedback from previous customers
before making a vacation service purchase. It's no surprise, therefore, that travellers are
increasingly turning to social media as a means of connecting with one another and getting
recommendations.

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4.3 Researches on impact of social media on Consumer buying behavior

Rashmi Gururaja (2014) wrote on the relevance of social media. There has been much discussion
regarding social communities, virtual communication, and social media advertising, for example.
Consumers are searching for information while browsing for their requirements, rather than
going out and seeking in person. When it comes to trip planning, social media is a huge asset.
Information for the travellers is being provided by it. Using comments, you may share stories,
rate websites, and submit your trip experiences. Virtual communities create a sense of belonging
to consumers, according to the study's findings. They believe that social networking is a time-
and money-saving technology that eliminates the need to wait. Meanwhile, the tourism service
providers are able to save money by essentially pooling their services. Final findings suggest that
social media poses several hazards and dangers related to online frauds and scams. The industry
has taken action by giving consumers with security options that they may use at their own time.
Researchers have developed a mechanism for connecting travellers and travel industry
stakeholders using social media.

A research done by Sonia Taneja and Leslie Toombs (2014) examined how social media affects
small company marketing. The research analysed social media's exposure, viability, and
sustainability to gauge its influence. To sum up, the findings of the study concluded that social
media was superior to traditional promotion tools in terms of marketing and promotion for small
businesses, and the study also examined the advantages and limitations of social media in small
business marketing strategies, before determining how social media helps businesses stand out
from their rivals; and finally, it examined the significance of social Media.

Androniki Kavoura and Aikaterini Stavrianea (2014) have studied the economic and social
elements of utilising social media as an innovative marketing tool to promote tourism following
its deployment. ‘According to the findings, social media has fostered a feeling of community
among its users by allowing them to connect with one another. Researchers found that social
media had a significant impact on how information seekers perceived a company's brand (or "e-
experience"). There is a focus on the value of social media in developing a strong community.
Economic and social media concerns were evaluated to see if social media might be used to
reach target clients in an advertising campaign. A feeling of community has been fostered among
the online community's members through the use of specialised language, the exchange of

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information about shared interests, and other forms of contact. The findings of the study also
helped the organisations decide how much money they should spend on advertising. Using social
media as a marketing tool will need more investigation on the part of firms looking to better
manage their financial resources.

4.4 Using Social Media to Research a Tourist destination and decision making
Online shopping and early research have become an essential part of the purchasing process in
recent years. Messages sent through new media are easier to spot and more effective in reaching
their intended audience (Jaska, 2018). The tourist industry tremendously benefits from the use of
social media. They have also altered the nature of the product. People in their 20s and 30s make
up the majority of the most active tourism segments. Every step of the purchasing process
involves the use of this communication channel, from formulating needs, gathering data,
evaluating options, deciding on locations, and sharing comments with other social media users.

Making a selection regarding a tourist destination or a service purchase involves taking a

considerable risk of purchasing a certain "promise." To avoid making a mistake, customers who
are aware of new technologies, such as those from Generation Y, should seek the advice of other
customers who have utilised the service before making a decision. To emphasise, over 95% of
travellers are using the internet when they're on the road. The average traveller makes use of over
19 websites and mobile applications in a single journey (Guggenheim et al, 2014). The fact that
there were 3.484 billion active social media users worldwide in 2019 shows just how vast the
potential of social media is. This is an increase of 280 million people from the previous year and
45 percent of the total population. Men between the ages of 25 and 34 accounted for one-fifth of
all social media users. Men between the ages of 18 and 24 were the second biggest demographic.
The age group over 65 had the lowest percentage of users (2% for both gender).

Since the beginning of the Web 2.0 era, the usage of social media in the decision-making process
for picking a tourist area and scheduling a trip has increased. BrightLocal conducted a research
in 2018 that found that 91 percent of Americans consistently or occasionally use online reviews,
and that 84% of those polled said they trust them as much as they do personal recommendations.
Reviews may serve as suggestions as well as sources of product and service details (Park et al,
2017). In the process of making purchasing decisions, heuristic factors such as the characteristics
of the persons who make these suggestions matter little (Ravindran et al, 2018).

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Reviews have a substantial impact on customer behaviour, as evidenced by the results of the
Local Consumer Review research conducted in 2019. 91% of consumers were inspired by
positive reviews to take advantage of an offer from the rated company, whereas 82% of
customers were deterred by negative reviews from doing so. Amazon customers read an average
of 10 reviews before making a buying decision. Research shows that 97% of customers read
comments to reviews, which is critical for firms looking to build credibility and trust (Grovers et
al, 2007).Tourism sites' popularity and profitability are shown to be closely linked to their
accessibility over the Internet. Findings from the Gupta (2019) research show that consumers
rely heavily on social media for information during the purchasing decision-making process.
According to the author, even if utilising SM has certain drawbacks, the rewards far outweigh
them.

For tourists and visitors who use social media, location, directions, cleanliness, and value for
money are some of the most useful aspects of social media, according to a recent study. Visitors'
types, length of stay, and language of presentation all factor into how this data is arranged for
easy access. In a survey by Matikiti-Manyevere and Kruger (2019), the most popular websites
used by travellers to plan their holiday are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TripAdvisor. The
rising popularity of Instagram was also touched up throughout the conversation. For a travel
agency to be successful in social media marketing, it is essential to know how visitors use the
internet (Matikiti-Manyevere & Kruger (2019). Jadhav et al study's shows how important social
media platforms like Facebook and TripAdvisor may be (2018). Having a strong value creation
strategy and focusing on customising their offers for particular clients might increase the
conversion cost for tourism businesses.

4.5 Decision-Making Process

The acquisition and selection of travel items necessitates many, interconnected, and sequential
decisions over a long period of time (Stewart & Vogt 1999).

Decision-making by tourists consists of a set of sequential stages that are well-defined.

Recognizing and formulating goals and objectives, coming up with alternative solutions and
gathering information on those solutions, evaluating the various options and coming to an
ultimate decision are all part of this process, as is implementing the solution and providing
feedback for future decisions. An individual's mood and feelings while travelling are two

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examples of affective variables that play a role in this process. But there are also environmental
and situational factors that play a role, as well as internal factors such as socio-psychological
factors (e.g. reasons, attitudes, values, personal characteristics, lifecycle stage) (Xuerui 2020).

4.5.1 Travel Content as a Motivator in the Decision-Making Process

Travelers are increasingly relying on social media as a source of information. According to
Bieger & Laesser (2004), the relevance of information sources rises in direct proportion to the
distance travelled to reach a destination. There is a strong correlation between the expense of
travel and the danger of travel to remote areas. Tourism locations and touristic organisations
should be able to engage with travellers via a variety of media and portray a favourable picture
of them during this pre-decision stage of the booking process. Because of the high level of
uncertainty and unfamiliarity, travellers must obtain knowledge from the sources at this stage.
Travelers' pre-decision thoughts about a certain place are heavily influenced by information
sources. In this situation, a prospective consumer will be more likely to make a purchase if they
have access to sources that provide detailed and credible information (Azam, 2021).

4.5.2 The Role of Influencers in the Decision-Making Process

The phrase "content marketing" may be used to represent a broad range of marketing approaches
that all entail the development and distribution of information. Most companies use content
marketing and sharing as a way to try to influence customers' purchasing decisions by
information they provide to them (Pulizzi & Barrett, 2009).

The influencer in this situation would be a trustworthy individual whose voice is added to the
mix since content alone would not produce the desired results. Customers are more likely to trust
a brand's message if they receive it from a trusted source, even if the material is of high quality
(Barker 2019).

As a result, it's possible to classify influencer marketing and content marketing as interdependent
instead of separate marketing approaches. As a result, firms should combine these two marketing
initiatives into a single marketing strategy. As a result, brands are increasingly choosing to
collaborate with influencers that are more focused on a certain market. With a higher level of
interaction and a smaller price tag, this type of influencer is a win-win. As a result, 49% of

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customers say their shopping decisions are influenced by social media influencers'
recommendations (Grin, 2019).

Using social media may help the tourist and hospitality business connect with their customers on
a more personal level (Sigala et al, 2012) Almost two-thirds of travel businesses anticipate to
boost their social media marketing budgets in order to use such platforms for company
development. Businesses in the travel industry must use social media marketing to help visitors
and customers find the right travel information and deliver targeted messages and content to a
specific group of consumers who are most likely to be interested (Jashi, 2013).

4.5.3 Social Media for Travel Information Search

The Internet, blogs, and various forms of social media are all used by people all around the
world. Social media enable consumers to engage and seek for services in an atmosphere that is
conducive to these activities. Content providers in the travel industry are increasingly delivering
a wide range of travel-related services, such as searching for tourist locations and tourist
activities through travel information searches, which are becoming increasingly popular (Namho
& Chulmo 2015).

This practise is especially widespread in the world of social media, where users may actively
organise material by "digging" or "tagging," which builds an ever-growing connection structure
on the Internet (Xiang & Gretzel 2010). Social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube
allow people from all over the world to interact and share their travel experiences (ParraLópez et
al, 2011). This information is essential to travellers and may be accessed at any time. Search
engines, such as social networking applications for tourism, can offer instant access to the
information needed.

4.5.4 The Role of Social Media in Pre-purchasing

Social media influences people's desires and perceptions of a place, which in turn affects their
purchasing decisions. Travel photos posted on social media by people who have been to a certain
place can play a bigger role in people choosing where to go and how many people visit that place
than hotel advertising campaigns (Beeton 2010).

Most people who use social media when they go on vacation are looking for information about
where to go and where to stay, and they put a lot of trust in other people's experiences. It's

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common for consumers to utilise social media at various times in the purchasing process (Fotis et
al, 2012). When it comes to vacation planning, SM is usually used to gather additional details
about a potential destination and to exclude locations that have been deleted from the evoked set.
Before making a final purchase, tourists consult social media platforms for further information
(Pop et al, 2021).

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CHAPTER 5: Research Methodology

5.1 Research Design

The research design is considered the blueprint for the study and may be classified into three
types: exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive. The scholar will conduct this study using a
qualitative analysis. As a result, the researcher will use this study methodology in order to find
the influence of social media on the purchase related decisions of tourists in India“

5.2 Research Philosophy

The researcher had to collect qualitative data to meet the goals of the study above. As a result,
the underlying research philosophy was mostly practical, which meant that one method might be
better than another for certain research questions. As a result, the study method was more like a
multidimensional continuum than a set of fixed places. The interpretive method addresses
criticisms that the positivist approach hides complicated topics by trying to make law-like
generalisations that are easy to understand (Saunders et al, 2012). Because interprevitism
emphasises subjective interpretations and perceptions, it is thought to be a good fit for finding
the influence of social media on the purchase related decisions of tourists in India“(Saunders et
al, 2012).

5.3 Research Strategy

It was decided to employ the case study research technique since it allowed the researcher to
completely examine each research issue in the context of a particular circumstance (Anderson &
Shattuck, 2012). A number of contradictions were discovered in the research during the literature
evaluation, and a case study analysis allowed the researcher to delve even deeper into these
inconsistencies further (Yin, 2003b). A case study is also a good idea when it's not always easy
to tell the difference between the problem and the environment (Yin, 2013). Case studies, on the
other hand, are sometimes criticised for giving an inside look at a specific situation that isn't
necessarily representative of the rest of the world. Another thing that could affect the findings
and interpretations of the findings is the researcher's own bias.

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5.4 Methods
A qualitative approach to data collecting was taken in accordance with the study concept. This
enabled the researcher to corroborate the findings and gain knowledge about the research issue.
According to Bryman and Bell (2007), a mixed methods study design might be undesirable and,
in certain cases, impractical. However, the strategy is widely favoured by a number of academics
due to the fact that it overcomes the disadvantages of utilising a single method. Additionally,
qualitative methodology allow for more in-depth, deeper data collecting, resulting in increased
trust in study conclusions (Saunders et al, 2012).

5.5 Data Collection Method

Primary and secondary data collecting methods are the two types of data collection methods
available. The core data for this study will be acquired using an interviews and survey
questionnaire that will be administered online in order to account for the widespread nature of
the Covid-19 pandemic across the world. It will be developed to make it easier for the scholar to
gain the necessary insights into the participants' perspectives. The survey questionnaire will
mostly consist of closed-ended questions that will be answered on a likert scale, with
respondents being asked to indicate whether they are pleased or dissatisfied with the question.
The secondary data, on the other hand, will be gathered from a variety of sources such as
government-sponsored publications, review reports, peer-reviewed journals, and so on.

5.6 Sampling Technique

The target population for this study will be leaders within an educational, corporate, and
religious organization. The researcher will conduct interviews with 8 participants and 50
respondents for survey questionnaire from India. This sampling strategy will enable the scholar
to evaluate the survey that was completed and to obtain appropriate results of the influence of
social media on the purchase related decisions of tourists in India“

6. Data Analysis
In this particular study, a specific approach was employed to examine and measure the results of
those who were considered for participation in the questionnaire survey. The data gathered from
the respondents will be analysed.

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7. Future Research Directions

As this study shows, social media can be a valuable tool for many tourist firms and is likely to be
a fruitful research topic for academics interested in the subject. For this study, the primary focus
was to examine the possible impact of social media platforms on the customer decision-making
process when it comes to purchasing any type of tourist and hospitality service. If future
researches are done on different communities and/or countries, the model provided in this study
might be verified to compare social media use and travel decisions. Detailed researches are
needed to better understand the impact of social media interactions on customer purchase
behaviour, as discussed above. It is necessary to perform future research with bigger
representative samples because this study has a limited sample size. It is well We already know
that social media will have an ever-increasing impact on every part of lives, and this research
simply scratches the surface of this huge trend.

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References

Anderson, T & Shattuck, J. (2012). Design-Based Research: A Decade of Progress in Education

Research? Educational Researcher, 41(1),16-25. DOI:10.3102/0013189X11428813

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