Instagram's Influence on UK Adventure Tourism Consumer Behavior

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Impact of Instagram on Adventure Tourism
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Research Objectives and Questions.................................................................................................5
Structured Topics.............................................................................................................................6
Literature review..............................................................................................................................8
Methodology..................................................................................................................................11
Appendix........................................................................................................................................11
Reference List................................................................................................................................15
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Introduction
1.1 Introduction
In the age of globalisation, digital media plays an essential role in the consumers’ decision-
making process. Adventure sports and tourism have become popular through social media and
involvement of the consumers interested in adventure tourism to offbeat locations. The success
of adventure tourism is affected by the various trends of social media that provide the tourists
from different economical background. Visual mediums attract customers and social media acts
as a primary visual media to attract tourists in adventure tourist destinations (Mackenzie, 2017).
Organisations operating in the adventure tourism industry utilise the aspect of human psychology
of being attracted to unfamiliar regions through visual medium such as Instagram.
1.2 Background of the research
The travel and tourism industry functions on the fulfilment of consumer needs and demands
according to the social media trends and individual aspirations of the tourists. Adventure tourism
is a form of tourism that had developed recently through growth and development in the tourism
sector. The research will observe the effect of visual social media such as Instagram has on the
consumer behaviour in selecting tourism destinations and participating in adventure tourism.
Organisations operating in the adventure tourism sector prefer to advertise their products and
services through Instagram to attract customers. The success of the organisations would be
effectively visible through the increase in popularity of adventure tourism destinations and the
type of adventure sports that develop due to increased customer demand sand preferences.
1.3 Research rationale
The travel and tourism industry is based on the successful incorporation of different services that
the organisations operating in the travel and tourism industry develop in order to fulfil the
demands of the customers interested in particular type of tourism. Consumers are attracted to
various adventure tourism destinations and organisations catering to their needs and
requirements through specific procedures (Williams et al., 2017). Instagram plays an effective
role in understanding and attracting the consumers interested in adventure sports and tourism.
The research will identify the impact Instagram has on the adventure tourism sector.
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1.4 Research aim
The aim of this research study is to identify the impact of Instagram on adventure tourism sector
of travel and tourism industry of the UK market economy.
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Research Objectives and Questions
2.1 Research Objectives
 To understand the impact of Instagram on adventure tourism
 To identify the effect of social media platform on adventure tourists
 To evaluate the role of social media in forming consumer behaviour of adventure tourism
industry
 To identify the aspects of digital marketing in adventure tourism
 To observe the relation between visual marketing and tourist perception in adventure
tourism
2.2 Research Questions
 How does Instagram influence adventure tourism of the UK market economy?
 How does social media platforms impact adventure tourists’ preferences on tourist
destination selection?
 How do social media affect the consumer behaviour of adventure tourism industry?
 What aspects of digital marketing play a role in adventure tourism?
 How is visual marketing related to tourist perception in adventure tourism?
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Structured Topics
3.1 Semi structured topics
The impact of visual media and digital marketing through social media for adventure tourism can
be observed as semi-structured topics for conducting research. Data collected for fulfilling the
research objectives is done through preparation of questionnaires. These questionnaires would
comprise of both structured and open-ended questions to which the participants can deliver their
own opinion effectively.
3.2 Interest
Growth of social media marketing has allowed the travel and tourism sector to develop new
sectors in travel and tourism industry. The impact of visual media such as Instagram in
developing the consumers’ interest for adventure tourism will provide the organisations
operating in the sector to provide the customers of the adventure tourism sector with an effective
understanding of the adventure tourism sector.
3.3 Access to Primary Data
The data that would be collected for fulfilling the research objectives through questionnaires for
participants would be easily accessible and effective in understanding the impact of Instagram on
adventure tourism. The literature used for reviewing the research questions is also available and
accessible through internet.
3.4 Scope and Importance
The growth and development of adventure sports and tourism in the UK travel and tourism
market provides the organisations operating in the travel and tourism industry with an added
advantage for operating in the competitive market economy.
3.5 Feasibility (Resources: time and money)
The research would be concluded in 4 weeks.
Parameters Cost (£)
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Conducting literature review 400
Collection of primary data 200
Documentation and compilation of final report 100
Total Cost (£) = £700
Table 1: Budget for the research
(Source: Created by the learner)
Based on the time required to complete the research project and the financial aspect of the
project it can be stated that the research is feasible for completion.
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Literature review
4.1 Introduction
The success of adventure tourism in the competitive travel and tourism sector is based on the
effectiveness of marketing and advertising conducted by organisations in the travel and tourism
sector. This enables the stakeholders of the adventure tourism field to develop strategies and
plans that would attract the consumers interested in adventure sports and tourism. Instagram acts
as a visual media and provides the travel and tourism organisations with an added advantage in
attracting the customers.
4.2 Influence of Instagram on adventure tourism
Instagram has become a new platform for organisations to advertise their products and services
in order to attract customers. According to the study conducted by Figueredo et al. (2017), it can
be observed that the tourist organisations that develop adventure tourism prefer to market their
services through specific Instagram accounts. Users interested in adventure sports and tourism
follows these accounts in order to gain experience and idea about the various aspects of
adventure tourism. The consumers of adventure tourism prefer to follow the Instagram accounts
that advertise appropriate adventure tourism aspects and gain knowledge on the concept.
4.3 Impact of social media on adventure tourists’ preference
Social media plays a decisive role in delivering the customers with a fresh and innovative
perspective of adventure tourism that the target demographic wishes to perform. The effect of
social media on customer preference can be studied in the work of Sato et al. (2018), where the
authors identified various drivers that allow tourists to identify and observe different adventure
tourism sectors and determine organisations that would be able to cater to their specific needs
and requirements. Several tourist organisations have developed advertising realistic and safe
adventure sports and tourism activities through visual media to ensure tourist safety
(Nationalgeographic.com, 2017).
4.4 Social media and its impact over tourism industry’s consumer behaviour
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In this modern era, people are likely to use several useful technologies for their different needs.
On the other hand, modern technology has reached a new level of success and using digital
technologies is beneficial in all aspects. Not only that but also there are several social media
sides such as Instagram, facebook and others that have huge audiences. Business organizations
now are targeting those social media sites including Instagram, Facebook and others for
extending their area of the target market so that they can reach a more numbers of targeted
customers (Zeng and Gerritsen, 2014). Alternatively, this allows generating more amounts of
profits to organizations that they can use for their organizational development and prosperity.
Both of the customers and organization are using social media site such as Instagram
indiscriminately. On the other hand, both of the treads, tourism and internet as well as several
social media sites are trending in the current market place. Therefore, over the consumer
behaviour, social media, especially Instagram has impacted largely.
4.5 Role of digital marketing in adventure truism
While topic comes to digital marketing, this is possible to state that digital marketing is one of
the most emerging trends in the current market places. Nowadays, market places are becoming
more and more segmented into targeting teams or groups, which actually share same
characteristic (Dolnicar and Ring, 2014). According to the market researchers and current
statistics, digital marketing is dominating the marketing world and this will be continued in the
upcoming future as well. Additionally, all business organizations will use digital marketing for
their different marketing sales purposes. Most of the successful companies use effective but
different market segmentation technique to separate their customer base as per their
requirements. Digital marketing is one of most popular marketing process that is being used by
all the business organizations. In order to capture those segmented customer base and to reach
more numbers of targeted customers, using digital technology is regarded as one of the best
method. As per the consideration of the market researchers, digital marketing is one of the
emerging trend in this current market that such has the ability of fostering business performance
and the overall business condition of tourism industry.
4.6 Visual marketing and its impact over tourism industry
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Another great consideration is visual marketing that refers to the method of marketing, where
marketing is done with several videos, photos, as well as other visual elements, which attest to
the value of the products or brand resources. In recent days, using visual marketing has become a
trend and especially, the tourism industry is using this effective process of marketing to influence
more numbers of targeted customers those can buy the products or services related to tourism.
Info graphics, brochures and other attractive visual marketing elements are being used by
tourism industry to achieve all the benefits of this marketing process (Zervas et al., 2017). As per
the consideration of the market researchers and current statistics, days are coming while
organizations from all sectors will use these effective marketing techniques, internet facilities,
digital technologies and several social media sited for betterment of their organizational position.
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Methodology
5.1 Research Type
In order to complete this research project, the researcher has decided to use mixed approach that
contains both of the qualitative and quantitative analysis. Quantitative and qualitative analysis
are regarded as two fundamental techniques of collecting as well as interpreting data in the
research. Qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis will be used to get the most authentic data
and information related to the topic, which will be resulted in better completion of the research
project.
5.2 Study population and sampling
In this research project, random sampling technique will be used. The researcher has decided to
use this random sampling method as this offers an opportunity of performing data analysis,
which is collected with less error. Additionally, random sampling method allows everybody for
having similar opportunity of being selected. Furthermore, this is regarded as one of the simplest
form of data collection and this is easy to form sample groups. However, there are several cons
of using random sampling method. However, there are several cons of this random data
collection method. One of the major cons is that this data collection technique is time-consuming
and complex as well. Researcher is required having appropriate skills and adequate experience
before using this data collection method.
5.3 Data collection methods and instruments
For the data collection, questionnaire will be produced and all the questions will be made related
to the topic. The researcher will conduct survey program, where questionnaire will be provided
to respondents to collect their valuable opinions. Additionally, in survey questions, both of the
open ended and close-ended questions will be made. Close-ended questions will be made and
asked to respondents for understanding their opinions and feedbacks in better manner that can be
used for further research purposes. Open-ended questions will be made that will be analysed
through using different journals and articles, which will lead towards better completion of this
project.
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5.4 Data analysis methods
Data analysis is another important consideration for better completion of the research project.
Different types of statistical tools, graphs and charts will be used in this research project for
better understanding of the analysis portion. All the close-ended survey questions will be detailed
with proper statistical and graphical presentation. For the open-ended questions, the researcher
will use authentic journals, articles and others.
5.5 Ethical considerations
Respondents those will attend the survey program will not be forced by any other persons as well
as they will make their feedbacks as per their opinions. Additionally, not all the data and
information that will be collected during the survey program will be enclosed to any other person
outside the organization. Data only will be used for research purpose.
5.6 Diagram of Research Process
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