How influencers promote sustainable tourism in Philippine destinations: A social media content analysis

Alfred Benedict R. Dela Cruz will defend his MS in Sustainability Management thesis entitled "ow influencers promote sustainable tourism in Philippine destinations: A social media content analysis"

May 2, 2024 at 6pm to 7:30pm

His advisers are Norman S. Tanchingco, PhD and Raquel C. Olpoc, M.A.

His panelists are:

Robert Edric Josef R. Lizares, PhD
Enrico C. Osi, PhD

Abstract:

Social media influencers (or influencers) shape perceptions about travel and are considered to be effective advocates of sustainable tourism. The current study aims to see how Filipino travel influencers frame sustainable tourism in the Philippines top island destinations: Palawan, Boracay, and Bohol. Using the levels of visual framing, content analysis was used on 288 Instagram frames across 10 influencers. Results indicated that travel influencers predominantly depicted touristic and recreational experiences, nature-centric imagery, and self-promotion for higher engagement among audiences. This suggests that influencers prioritize curating travel experiences over advocating for sustainability. This study offers insights on influencers’ online persona and destination image, and offers managerial implications for sustainable tourism particularly through influencer and social media communications.