Instagram Marketing and Destination Choice: A Study of International Tourists Visiting Kerala, Delhi and Pune In India

Author

Dr. R. Pradeep Kumar Patnaik, Davuluri Varsha


Abstract

 Social media has transformed the way tourists look up travel information, and their attitude towards destinations and making travel decisions. Instagram is a social media application that is focused on images and videos, so it offers tourists pictures, videos, travel-related content, “influencer” content, and experiences of the destination. This study analyses the importance of destination choice among international tourists with regards to destination selection of Kerala, Delhi and Pune of India by using social media platform - Instagram marketing. IGM is divided into four key factors of Instagram marketing – Visual Appeal, Informativeness, Credibility, and Influencer Content. A quantitative research method was used and structured questionnaire was taken for 75 respondents. In order to understand the Instagram use, travel behaviors, perceptions of Instagram contents, and preferred destinations, descriptive analysis was employed. The results suggest that 37.3% agreed or strongly agreed that seeing photos and videos on Instagram makes an Indian destination more attractive to them; and 34.7% agreed or strongly agreed that viewing destination-related information on Instagram is helpful for them. Likewise, 36.0% strongly or agreed that ability to read reviews and comments on Instagram is useful for them in making decisions about visiting Indian destinations and 36.0% said that influencer content impacts their views of Indian destinations. Instagram content was found to be most influential with 77.3% and reels with 42.7% while Kerala was viewed by 77.3%. The study offers descriptive information regarding the association between the various characteristics of destination marketing on Instagram and tourists' destination perceptions and destination-related decisions.



Keywords

Instagram Marketing, Destination Choice, Destination Image, International Tourists, Tourism Destination Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Influencer Content, Visual Appeal



Full Text:

Download Paper PDF


References


  1. Blanco-Moreno, S., González-Fernández, A. M., Muñoz-Gallego, P. A., & Casaló, L. V. (2024). Understanding engagement with Instagram posts about tourism destinations. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 34, 100948.
  2. Blanco-Moreno, S., González-Fernández, A. M., Muñoz-Gallego, P. A., & Casaló, L. V. (2025). Decoding destination image: Insights from Instagram content by residents, tourists, and influencers. Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality, 21(1), 110–125.
  3. Zhou, L., & Xue, F. (2022). Effects of Instagram user-generated content on travel inspiration and planning: An extended model of technology acceptance. Journal of Promotion Management, 28(3), 239–260.
  4. Aboalganam, K. M., AlFraihat, S. F., & Tarabieh, S. (2025). The impact of user-generated content on tourist visits intentions: The mediating role of destination imagery. Administrative Sciences, 15(4), 117.
  5. Eman, N., & Refaie, N. (2025). The effect of Instagram posts on tourists’ destination perception and visiting intention. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 31(2), 443–456.
  6. Pourazad, N., Stocchi, L., & Simmonds, L. (2025). Influencers and the choice of a travel destination: A customer journey and information processing perspective. Information Technology & Tourism, 27(4), 1185–1228.
  7. Sharma, N., Khatri, B., Khan, S. A., & Shamsi, M. S. (2023). Extending the UTAUT model to examine the influence of social media on tourists’ destination selection. Indian Journal of Marketing, 53(4), 47–64.
  8. Cherukuri, J. P. (2024). Role of social media marketing on destination choice and revisit intentions: A study of foreign medical tourists in India. Revista de Turism - Studii și Cercetări în Turism, (37).
  9. Giannopoulos, A., Livas, C., Simeli, I., & Achlada, C. (2022). Is destination image Instagrammable? Visit intentions and value co-creation through social media content. International Journal of Technology Marketing, 16(4), 349–369.
  10. Kim, M. J., & Kim, D.-Y. (2024). Understanding envy and fear of missing out in travel posts: The effects of Instagram sources and landmark types. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 34, 100959.
  11. Paül i Agustí, D. (2024). Instagram public and private images as an element for the spatial monitoring of tourist behaviour in cities. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 10(3), 1082–1097.
  12. Joseph, A., Vasundhara, T. P., & Thomas, T. (2024). How social media influences travel decisions: The effect of user-generated content, visual appeal, and storytelling on destination intentions. South India Journal of Social Sciences, 22(4), 349–359.
  13. Desai, K., Sultan, R., & Moretti, A. (2024). User-generated content in shaping travel decisions. Journal of Tourism Challenges and Trends, 17(1).

 

 

 

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons