Abstract
This research examines the influence of social media and online marketing on the travel behaviours of youth -domestic - tourists in a capital city of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, as the main destination. With the development of new technologies in the modern digital age, digital tools could significantly change the preferences of travellers to choose tourism destinations. In this regard, social media, with its wide audience through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and others, became not only an effective tool for tourism marketing but also for affecting tourism decision-making processes. That's why the study examines the impact of tourists’ attitudes towards online tourism information, such as information quality and its user-friendly accessibility, satisfaction, interaction with digital marketing tools, and behavioural intentions, including intention to visit tourism destinations and electronic word of mouth (eWOM). Adopting a quantitative approach, this study is supposed to conduct a detailed online survey of at minimum 102 respondents among two demographic groups named Gen Z and Millennials aged 18 to 40 years. Data from the initially conducted online survey of 30 respondents who had the ability to organize the travel by usage of digital marketing tools. Based on it, the data were analysed for reliability and validity using IBM SPSS 26. Following that, the main data is expected to be analysed through SEM using Smart PLS 4. The results are expected to show that accessible and high-quality online tourism content strongly shapes tourist satisfaction, which in turn mediates behavioural intentions of travellers. This study is expected to add new literature to the limited research on digital tourism behaviour in Central Asia. That's why it provides practical suggestions for the local tourism agency in Tajikistan to enhance digital strategies to attract more tourists to the destinations.
Bahasa Abstract
Penelitian ini mengkaji pengaruh media sosial dan pemasaran online terhadap perilaku perjalanan wisatawan domestik muda di ibu kota Tajikistan, Dushanbe, sebagai tujuan utama. Dengan perkembangan teknologi baru di era digital modern, alat digital dapat secara signifikan mengubah preferensi para pelancong dalam memilih tujuan wisata. Dalam hal ini, media sosial, dengan audiens yang luas melalui Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, dan lainnya, tidak hanya menjadi alat yang efektif untuk pemasaran pariwisata tetapi juga mempengaruhi proses pengambilan keputusan pariwisata. Itulah sebabnya studi ini meneliti dampak sikap wisatawan terhadap informasi pariwisata online, seperti kualitas informasi dan aksesibilitas yang ramah pengguna, kepuasan, interaksi dengan alat pemasaran digital, dan niat perilaku, termasuk niat untuk mengunjungi tujuan pariwisata dan mulut ke mulut elektronik (eWOM). Mengadopsi pendekatan kuantitatif, studi ini diharapkan dapat melakukan survei online yang rinci dengan minimal 102 responden dari dua kelompok demografis yang disebut Gen Z dan Milenial berusia 18 hingga 40 tahun. Data dari survei online yang awalnya dilakukan terhadap 30 responden yang memiliki kemampuan untuk mengatur perjalanan dengan menggunakan alat pemasaran digital. Berdasarkan hal tersebut, data dianalisis untuk keandalan dan validitas menggunakan IBM SPSS 26. Setelah itu, data utama diharapkan dianalisis melalui SEM menggunakan Smart PLS 4. Hasilnya diharapkan menunjukkan bahwa konten pariwisata online yang mudah diakses dan berkualitas tinggi sangat mempengaruhi kepuasan wisatawan, yang pada gilirannya memediasi niat perilaku para pelancong. Studi ini diharapkan dapat menambah literatur baru pada penelitian terbatas tentang perilaku pariwisata digital di Asia Tengah. Itulah sebabnya, penelitian ini memberikan saran praktis bagi agen pariwisata lokal di Tajikistan untuk meningkatkan strategi digital guna menarik lebih banyak wisatawan ke destinasi tersebut.
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Recommended Citation
Jamshed, Namozov and Gayatri, Gita
(2025)
"Are Digital and Social Media Marketing Matters for Tajikistan’s Youth Travelers?,"
ASEAN Marketing Journal: Vol. 17:
No.
1, Article 6.
DOI: 10.7454/amj.v17i1.1320
Available at:
https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/amj/vol17/iss1/6
