Does social media significantly alter decision stages for nature-based tourists?

Abstract

This study aims to explore how social media content influences travelers' perceptions and decision-making regarding nature-based tourism destinations. It specifically examines the roles of content characteristics, perceived reliability and authenticity, destination choice, and the relationship between pre-travel expectations and actual experiences. The study adopts a qualitative research design based on semi-structured interviews focusing on travelers' use and evaluation of social media when selecting nature-based tourism destinations. The analysis examines participants' perceptions of different content formats, source credibility, decision-making influences, and the extent to which social media-generated expectations correspond with actual destination experiences. The findings indicate that visual content, particularly photographs, videos, and short-form videos, contributes to destination attractiveness, perceived authenticity, accessibility, and pre-travel expectations. They further demonstrate that realistic, non-promotional content and independent traveler experiences enhance perceived reliability, while environmental degradation, physical difficulties, and concerns regarding safety and comfort may negatively affect destination decisions. The study contributes to the literature by examining social media influence on nature-based tourism destination choice through an integrated perspective that connects content perception, authenticity, decision-making, and post-visit experience. Its value lies particularly in highlighting the importance of the relationship between social media-generated expectations and actual experiences, as well as travelers' continued reliance on multiple sources for information verification.