Social Media in Tourism Research: A Literature Review. Procedings of Tourism Travel and Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally. Paper 21.http://scholarworks.umass.edu /ttra/ttra2015/ Academic_Papers_ Visual/21 Leung

As “always-on ” Internet use becomes very common and the popularity of social media has been growing over time, such huge and pervasive trend has significantly impacted the tourism industry. Therefore, the current study attempts to (1) identify what research subjects in social media have been examined, (2) assess what theories, research designs, and methods were employed by previous social media research in tourism, and (3) find significant new trends and directions for future tourism research. This study reviews and analyzes tourism research published in top tourism journals for the period of 2011 – 2014. Based on a content analysis, this article provides summaries of research topics, theories, and methods of study design and data analysis. Review findings and significant research trends in tourism are identified and discussed. The study concludes with general directions for future tourism research