Chapter 4: Role of Social Media Information and Metrics in Bleisure Travellers’ Decision-making for Travel and Hotels: An Analytical Perspective

The inherent unevenness of tourism information has made social media (SM) a critical information source for travellers to make their decisions. Bleisure tourism (BT) blends business and leisure travel into a single trip. Bleisure marketing caters to business travellers by offering them diverse experiences, encompassing the meetings and events they attend and the various attractions and activities available at the destination. SM metrics aid tourists in making informed decisions regarding travel and destinations. Like in other businesses, SM significantly influences consumer decisions within the tourism industry. This study examines the role of SM information and metrics on the decision-making process of bleisure travellers for both travel and hotel choices. The decisions may include choosing to add leisure time and destinations while travelling for business purposes, choosing hotels and other facilities. It has been found that SM serve as a planning tool for travellers, where tour and travel companies can interact and engage with the travellers. SM metrics provide concrete ideas to travellers for planning their entire trip. It helps marketers to sharpen their SM strategies of attracting, convincing and converting the travellers.