THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN TRAVEL DECISIONS

Abstract

The way individuals connect with one another around the world has changed as a result of globalization and the rapid evolution of communication technologies. As a technology that enables businesses and customers to communicate without being present physically, social media has risen in popularity in recent years. Because of this, companies across a range of industries are using social media marketing (SMM) to increase customer interactions, word-of-mouth marketing and sales, brand value and recognition. However, the use of SMM is influenced by certain socioeconomic and cultural factors in a given area. The rise in social media usage in Uzbekistan as a result of the development of social media technology gives the tourism and hospitality industry the chance to use SMM to make significant progress in this country.Determining how SMM may affect consumer purchase decisions in Uzbekistan tourism industry is the goal of the current research article. As the most suitable research methodology, a narrative literature review was used in the current study. The study's findings indicate that social media usage has increased and that travelers now use social networks in the process of decision making. SMM has a lot of potential for tourism companies to increase their brand value, identity, awareness and word-of-mouth.