Investigating of social media travel photos on future destination choice: A mixed methodology approach

This study aims to examine the attractiveness of travel photos on social media and understand the relationship between travel photo sharing on social media and destination choice intention. A mixed methodology is used in this study. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis were conducted. The attractiveness of key travel photos was categorised as nature landscape, way of life, architecture/buildings and people and these categories affected the future destination choices of social media viewers. This quantitative study uses data collected from 388 respondents via convenience sampling. Findings showed that the attractiveness of travel photos on social media exerts a significant effect on destination choice intention. In addition, celebrity-generated content mediates the relationship between travel photos and future destination choice intention. Destination marketers can promote places through the four identified travel photo categories using social media channels with celebrity-generated content.