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THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON TOURISTS' SATISFACTION (A STUDY USING THE „STIMULUS-ORGANISM-RESPONSE“ MODEL)

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Nugzar Todua

Doctor of Economics Science, Professor and Head of Marketing Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

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Levani Danelia

PhD Student, Faculty of Economics and Business, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

Abstract

The article discusses the importance of using social media in the tourism industry. It is shown that social media applications affect the behavior of tourists. Therefore, researchers pay special attention studying tourists' attitudes towards social media. The paper emphasizes that, in Georgia, like in other countries, the development of the tourism sector is facilitated by the information shared on social media by travelers and service providers. Despite the widespread use of social media in the Georgian tourism industry, the specifics of consumer behavior in this area have been poorly studied. Given this, the purpose of the study was to explore consumer satisfaction with the use of social media in the Georgian tourism sector. This study is based on Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), which states that people actively seek out and use media to satisfy certain needs. In the context of tourism, UGT is used to explore how tourists use media to satisfy their travel-related needs. The paper is based on the "stimulus-organism-response" model, which helps us study consumer attitudes towards information posted by tourist destinations on social media. Based on the analysis of the literature, the study variables have been identified. In the paper, the descriptive (independent) variables of “stimulus” are considered to be social media marketing activity, perceived quality of information posted on social media, and perceived trust in information posted on social media. The descriptive (mediating) variable of the “organism” is the attitude towards the information posted on social media, and the “reaction” (dependent variable) is satisfaction with the information posted on social media. Relevant statements have been formulated for the mentioned variables, on the basis of which the research hypotheses have been formulated and a conceptual model of the research has been developed. In order to determine the impact of the named variables on Georgian consumers, a marketing study was conducted, which included the population of Georgia over 18 years of age. A total of 607 respondents from different regions of Georgia were surveyed. The results of the study were processed using the statistical program SPSS 27. The data were collected using the online survey method. Correlation and regression analysis methods were used to process the data. The relationships between the above-mentioned variables have been established. Statistically significant values have been obtained as a result of the analysis, which confirms the reliability of the statements used in the study and confirms the hypotheses developed. The results of the study are useful for tourism organizations that plan to use social media to attract customers and increase their engagement in their activities. The research results have theoretical significance in terms of the use of social media as a marketing communication tool in tourism. Companies can use these results to effectively interact with customers through social media and promote their marketing strategies. The practical implementation of the research results will help managers working in the tourism industry to expand their understanding of social media and actively use it to attract target audiences.

Keywords: Social media, behavior of tourism service consumers, marketing research, tourists' satisfaction.

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