Travel Information Search - The Presence of Social Media

In this paper we will study the intersection of conceptual frameworks that deal with travel, information search and social media, in order to investigate the presence of social media in travel information search. Social media could become a communication channel for the hospitality industry. This may offer some benefits for the tourists and travellers - as well as for the hospitality industry. Extensive research has over the years been carried out on methods and technology for travel information search and there has been a growing research on social media and its influence on the lives of its users. There has not been much research on social media as a channel for the search for travel information. Here we will build on a study by Xiang and Gretzel (2009) but shift the focus to specific hotel brand search in order to gain an understanding of how social media influences the search for travel information.