The impact of culture on the use of social media in choosing a travel destination CHAIMAA BENDAHOU University of Hassan 1st Settat MOROCCO ENCG Settat , Laboratory of Research in Marketing and Communication

Presentation plan : Introduction Context and implications Research question Literature review Research model Conclusion

i Introduction: The internet has created a dramatic shift in every aspect of daily life and growing internet usage is motivating some changes in the consumer purchasing behavior . Consumers use social media sites such as facebook , twitter , youtube to share ideas about diffrent products , services and brands or contact other consumers who are seen as more objective information sources.

Technology is ,to a considerable extent , socially and culturally constructed . Culture infuences lifestyle, and lifestyle influences the way individuals communicate, interact and use new media technologies. Tourism products are high-involvment products which generate substantial information search before consumers commit to a final choice .

Context and implications of the study Although several studies on tourists imformation search have been conducted there is little theoretical work available that includes culture and it’s possible impacts on the use of social media in the destination choice process especially in Morocco . Understanding the process is a fundamental issue from both an academic and destination management point of view.

Centrale research question : « How does culture impact the use of social media in travel destination choice? »

Literature review : Travel destination choice Social media culture

Travel destination choice The concept of destination : According to Pearce( 2014) « A destination is assumed to consist of a named geographical location. However it can also refer to a set of activities that constitue a particular tourism experience » Kim (1998:340) « A destination can be viewed as a uniquely complex product of the tourism industry comprising, among other factors, an area’s climate, infrastructure and superstructre, services, and natural and cultural attributes. Despite this compexity , it is nevertheless a product »

Travel destination choice Travel motivations : The most popular typology for understanding travel motivations is the « push » and « pull » model by Crompton (1979) Push motivations : escape, self-exploration, relaxation, prestige, regression, and social interaction Pull motivations: novelty , education and tangible sources ; beaches, recreational activities, cultural attractions .

Destination choice To understand and explain how the travel destination choice process occurs both « Behavioral » and « Choice Set » approches have been adopted . The behavioral models assume that tourists are utilitarian decision makers who can evaluate outside information to which they are exposed , search for additional information to make better decisions , create alternatives in their minds and make a final choice from those alternatives .

Set model According to the set theory developped by Um and Crompton (1990) choosing a travel destination is a multistage process where numerous alternative destinations are rediced successively in a funnel like manner ( Sirakaya &woodside; 2005)

The role of social media in travel destination search Graham(2005) states that social media are anything where users can participate, create, and share content. Social media are concidered to be a very important source of information especially in tourism since tourism experiences and their preperations are progressively transformed by advances in communication technologies and social media sites .

Curran & Lennon model (2011) Ease of use : Does using social networks require effort on the part of the user ? Usefulness : Do social networks improve the way users complete networking tasks ? Enjoyment : Are social networks fun , pleasurable , or entertaining? Social influence : Does social influence contribute to the use of social networks ? Drama : Do emotional interactions on social networks affect users ?

Culture and travel destination search : Shavitt et al (2008, p1103) culture includes  « shared elements that provide standards for perceiving , believing , evaluating, communicating and acting among those who share a language a historical period and a geographical location » Markus& Kitayama (2010,p.442) « The word culture is a stand-in for a similarly untidy and expansive set of material and symbolic concepts… that give form and direction to behavior and that culture is located in the world, in patterns of ideas, practices, institutions, products, and artifacts. »

Hofstede’s cultural dimensions: Hofstede’s operationalization of cultures ( 1984) is the norm used in international marketing studies . Individualism/ Collectivism Uncertaity avoidance Power distance Masculinity/Femininity

Research Model

Conclusion :

Thank you for your attention