The Influence of Social Media on the Tourism Industry: A Content Analysis of Culinary Tourism Brands via Instagram

• Main Author: White, Angela
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2021
• Subjects: Instagram; Tourism; Content Analysis; Framing Theory; Uses and Gratifications Theory; Diffusion of Innovation Theory; Advertising and Promotion Management; Communication Technology and New Media; Critical and Cultural Studies; Mass Communication; Social Media; Tourism and Travel
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4009; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5503&context=etd

The tourism industry in the United States is constantly changing and being influenced by social media, specifically Instagram. Culinary brands use Instagram to advertise their restaurants and dishes in a creative, visual way. As a result, Instagram is now being used as a tool by tourists and both potential and current customers to share their dining experiences and find these locations based on the visual appeal. This study provides a content analysis of Instagram account information and photo composition within eight popular culinary tourism destinations by examining the strategies used by the accounts. 50 randomly selected photos were used from eight popular culinary tourism locations. Framing, Uses and Gratifications, and Diffusion of Innovation theories were the theoretical framework for the study. The results of this study indicated key characteristics of some of the most popular culinary tourism destinations on Instagram.