Assessing the Impact of Digital Technology on Tourism: A TUI Study

This research report examines the influence of digital technology, specifically social media marketing, on the travel and tourism sector, using the TUI group as a case study. The report explores the current trends in social media marketing within the UK travel industry, evaluating its impact on customer awareness and decision-making processes. The study employs a qualitative research approach, utilizing both primary and secondary data collection methods, including questionnaires and literature reviews. The findings analyze the impact of social media marketing on TUI's customers and provides recommendations for social media marketing strategies to contribute to TUI's growth. The report covers background information, research objectives, methodology, data analysis, and ethical considerations, offering a comprehensive overview of the digital marketing landscape in the tourism sector.

RESEARCH PROJECT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO1..................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Recording research project outline specification ................................................................1
Background ................................................................................................................................1
Research aim & objectives..........................................................................................................1
1.2 Identifying factors that contribute in research project selection ..........................................2
1.3 Undertaking critical review of key references .....................................................................2
1.4 Producing a research project specification ...........................................................................3
1.5 Timeline ...............................................................................................................................4
LO2..................................................................................................................................................8
2.1 Match resources to the research question or hypothesis.......................................................8
2.2 Undertaking proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification
and procedures............................................................................................................................8
2.3 Recording and collating relevant data.................................................................................12
LO3................................................................................................................................................16
3.1 Using appropriate ‘research evaluation techniques in the context of current research.......16
3.2 Interpreting and analysing results.......................................................................................16
3.3 Conclusion and recommendations......................................................................................18
LO4................................................................................................................................................19
4.1 Using an agreed format and appropriate media to present the outcomes of the research . .19
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20

INTRODUCTION
Topic: “The influence of digital technology in the travel and tourism sector”.
LO1
1.1 Recording research project outline specification
Background
Social media has a huge influence on majority of the sectors across the globe. Customers
that are associated and connected with social media websites can research for the tips so that
informed decisions can be made by them in terms of their travels. They can share their personal
experiences relating to the airline, hotels and place on the social sites (Prasad and Saigal, 2019).
In today's world, people are moving forward to the luxurious services because of the evolving
lifestyle of individual. The present study is based on TUI group, a German tourism and travel
company operating its business worldwide. It owns hotels, airlines, travel agencies, cruise ships
and the retail stores. Furthermore, the study describes the impact of social media on the
awareness of the customers of companies functioning in the business of travel & tourism.
Moreover, it also explains the research methods, approach, philosophy, sources of data collection
sampling, data analysis tool, ethical practices adopted by the investigator in the research report.
Research aim & objectives
Aim
To assess the impact of social media marketing on customer awareness and decision
making in travel and tourism sector. A study on TUI group.
Objectives: On the basis of above aim following objectives have been drafted:
 To identify the trend of social media marketing in UK travel and tourism business.
 To evaluate the impact of social media marketing with regards to the awareness of TUI’s
customer.
 To investigate the contribution of SMM on TUI’s customers decision making. To recommend strategies pertaining to SMM that contributes in TUI’s growth.
Research questions
Q.1 What is the trend of social media marketing in UK?
Q.2 Does social media marketing has impact on awareness and decision making aspect of TUI’s
customers?
1

1.2 Identifying factors that contribute in research project selection
Keen interest in knowing the changing trends and influences of the digital marketing in the
tourism sector is the main reason behind selection of this project. Further, now more and more
companies are using social media for advertisement purpose. Hence, this in turn considered as
research issue now because negative comments given by the individual on such sites adversely
impacts purchasing decision of customers. Thus, through thematic analysis such study will
provide deeper insight to travel firms about the extent to which social media marketing affects
awareness and decision making aspect of customers.
1.3 Undertaking critical review of key references
Literature review
Theme 1: Trend of social media marketing
As per Harrigan and et.al., (2017), social media has a great influence on the growth of
company in tourism segment as it is founded that it contributes to gain popularity among the
users through video, photo sharing, written reviews, localization and blogging of the internet.
Travelers uses social media for discussing about the places where they are visiting and the
attractions that are seen by them. This helps in building the awareness among the customers
regarding different venues and travel companies. On the contrary Hudson and et.al., (2015),
viewed that negative reviews and feedback by the customers on the social media relating to the
ineffective services facilitated by the enterprise affects the brand image of the company
adversely on a global platform. In accordance with the Narangajavana and et.al., (2017), it is
suggested that customers can search for several packages provided by different tourism
companies and can select the package that best suits to its budget so that cost effectiveness can
be attained. However, Ainin and et.al., (2015), identified that through social media travelers
upload their videos or pictures from their experiences which sometimes resulted as unsecured,
the misuse of those photos and videos on the digital media is increasing day by day which
becomes a concern for the customers and by this they resist themselves in sharing their good
moments.
Theme 2: Impact of digital technology on customer awareness and decision making
Bigne and et.al., (2018), viewed that, through social media, customers check-in to various
locations and post their reviews online which helps the travel industry in reaching more and
more awareness among the other new potential customers and by this large customers can be
2

attracted towards the company. On the other hand, it is also analyzed by Narangajavana Kaosiri
and et.al., (2019), that unexpected events such as natural disasters and unfavorable conditions of
the weather highly influence the decision making of the customers as they would not choose to
travel at such places that are risky. In accordance with Samala and et.al., (2019), it is evaluated
that in today's changing world, social media created a high trend as blogging, this helps the
customers in exploring new places with fulfillment of earning purpose. There are many people
who have their own blog website on the tourism which enable the travel and tourism corporate in
promoting and advertising about their packages, locations and hotels used by their customers.
In a recent survey made by the Dewnarain, Ramkissoon and Mavondo (2019), it is
evaluated that major earning of the travel blogs has ascertained through the blogging. Moreover,
it is also referred by Todua (2018), that improper design of quotation by industry negatively
affects the decision making of the customers as they could not get the informative description of
the package. This leads to lack of comparison between different quotation faced by the
consumers. According to the Gupta (2019), view, several apps are available specifically in
relation to the travel and tourism like make my trip, Oyo etc. which are used by the customers
especially for booking the tickets at discounted rate and selecting the hotels as per their budget
and specifications. These apps enable the customer in getting the travel information and to get a
better understanding and knowledge about a particular place. Social media helps in the people in
owing to different apps which in turn assist in finding out the different locations with reviews.
On the other side, it is also stated by the Harb and et.al., (2019), that travel industry faces
difficulty in having a direct connection with the customers through social media and the
relationship cannot be built effectively with large people.
1.4 Producing a research project specification
Research methods
Research type: Scholar will use qualitative research as it will be act as the best method
for preparing the research on this qualitative issue (Bresler and Stake, 2017). It provides the
detail analysis and facilitate deeper insight by assigning the ranks and recording the behaviours
and feelings related features in the study.
Research approach and philosophy: Inductive approach will be used by the researcher
which creates the learning outcomes more and more interesting as it states the experiences of the
customers regarding the impact of the social media influence. The philosophy that will be
3

applied by the scholar is interpretivism theory which gives access to different aspect of the
realitry in the study to the investigator.
Data collection: the sources of data collection in this report will include both the sources
that is the primary as well as the secondary sources. In other words it means the data will be
collected from the books, journals and other articles and through scheduling the questionnaire as
well.
Sampling: The researcher will use probabilistic random sampling as it the best samp0ling
technique that facilitate the equal possible chance to the population of being selected and it is
simple to use (Fletcher, 2017). Errors can also be measured easily by using this sampling
technique.
Data analysis: thematic data analysis tool will be utilized by the scholar in this research
report as it provides meaningful structure to the study and relatively easy band accessible to
those scholars having no experience of the qualitative research.
Ethical consideration: The confidentiality will be maintained adequately maintained by
the researcher. Aims and objectives of the study will be not contain any exaggeration and
deception. This leads to an ethical consideration by the scholar.
1.5 Timeline
In order to accomplish study within the suitable time frame following timeline is prepared:
Gantt chart
Activi
ties /
week
s
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Topi
c
selec
tion
Fram
ing
aims
and
4

objec
tives
Fram
ing
the
resea
rch
prop
osal
Cond
uctin
g
litera
ture
revie
w by
asses
sing
the
prim
ary
and
seco
ndar
y
sourc
es of
data
Selec
tion
of
5

rease
arch
meth
ods
in
accor
ddan
ce
with
the
issue
being
resea
rched
.
Struc
ting
the
quest
ionai
re
Data
colle
ction
by
sche
dulin
g the
quest
ionai
re
6

from
the
respo
ndent
s
being
chos
en
and
from
the
inter
net
and
articl
es
Orga
nizin
g the
data
in a
struct
ured
mann
er
Data
analy
sis
by
using
the
7

appr
opria
te
tool
and
referr
ing
the
thesi
s
fram
ed in
the
litera
ture
revie
w
segm
ent
Disc
ussio
n
Conc
lusio
n
Reco
mme
ndati
ons
Taki
ng
8

feedb
ack
Modi
ficati
ons
as
per
client
requi
reme
nts
Final
subm
issio
n
LO2
2.1 Match resources to the research question or hypothesis
Identification of the changing trend of social
media marketing in the UK travel and tourism
sector.
The trends are identified appropriately by
making the use of books, journals and internet
sources so that objectives are met with validity.
Evaluating the influence of social media
marketing on TUI’s customer awareness.
Through conducting the survey this objective
has been evaluated in the resaerch study.
Investigating about the contribution of the
SMM on TUI’s in relation to the customer
decision making.
By structuring and scheduling the questionaire
the objective of investigation of the
contribution made by the SMM in TUI's
relating to the customer's decions making has
been gathered adequately.
9

2.2 Undertaking proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and
procedures.
Research methodology
Research type- The type of the research is classified into two types i.e. qualitative and
quantitative research. Qualitative research means the qualitative characteristics that includes the
feelings, sounds, attitude, emotions and other elements that are not quantifiable (McCusker and
Gunaydin, 2015). However, quantitative research means solving the problems by the use of
mathematical and numerical techniques. With reference to this study, researcher has been using
qualitative research as it best suits to study the influence of social media on the awareness of the
customers regarding the tours and travel industry.
Research approach- The relevance of approach to the research study is major aspect and
these approaches are categorized into inductive and deductive approach. Deductive approach test
the assumptions or hypothesis validity while inductive approach contribute in building the new
generalizations and theories. The researcher in this study refer to the inductive approach as it is
considered suitable approach in studying the qualitative characteristics of the report in a better
and efficient way.
Research philosophy- Making choice of the particular research philosophy has a great
influence on the practical implications in the study (Clandinin, Cave and Berendonk, 2017).
Specifically, two types of research philosophy is adopted by the scholar that involves positivism
and interpretivism. Positivism philosophy reflects the employment of the empirical methods by
making use of the quantitative analysis and developing logical evaluation to build the formal
explanatory theory. Interpretivism philosophy means the work in the research is not based on the
theories' development but to generalize and study the complexity that are present in the business
and the social aspect of the management. In this study the investigator will use Interpretivism
philosophy because it is considered as the best philosophy in determining the qualitative factor in
the report.
Data collection- It is the process of collecting the relevant information to answer the
problems of the research, evaluate outcomes of the study and to review hypothesis testing. Data
can be collected in by using two methods that are primary and the secondary sources. Primary
sources refers to collecting the data through direct connection with the respondents such as
through questionnaires, interview etc. Secondary sources of data collection reflects the data that
10