Title of Paper

Examining the Impact of Travel Vlogs on the Indian Tourists Perception of a Destination

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Mahima Miriam Jose is a Master’s Graduate with Distinction in M.Sc. Corporate and Marketing Communications from Middlesex University. She is employed as a Media Specialist with Delhi Private School, Dubai, a renowned school in the UAE. With over six years of industry experience, she has a substantive research interest in social media and consumer behaviour.

Dr. Sreejith Balasubramanian is a Senior Lecturer and Chair of the Research Committee at Middlesex University Dubai. Sreejith has over 15 years of experience in teaching, research, consultancy, and project management. He has been a consultant for several public and private sector entities. His work has been published in leading international journals and conferences.

Dr. Cody Morris Paris is the Deputy Director for Academic Planning and Research at Middlesex University Dubai. He holds a PhD from Arizona State University. He currently serves as the President of the TTRA Asia Pacific Chapter.

Abstract (150 Words)

An increasing number of tourists are influenced by travel vlogs. However, despite its significance, it is unclear whether Destination Marketing Organizations’ (DMO) vlogs or amateur vlogs have more impact on tourists’ perception of a destination. Few studies have examined the travel flogs in the context of Indian tourists, a large and emerging source market. This quasi-experimental study which involved 20 Indian tourists (selected using convenient random sampling), examined the effect of vlogs in general and the differential impact of DMO and amateur vlogs on their perception of a destination. Participants were shown two YouTube vlogs (one DMO and one amateur) similar in content and length. The data collection involved the completion of a pre-and post-survey and a post-semi-structured interview to examine the role of style and content. The results indicate that vlogs, in general, strongly influence tourists’ perception of a destination. The amateur vlogs performed better than DMO vlogs in narration style and ambient music, while DMO performed better in content. Amateur vlogs were found to have a greater influence in triggering tourists' desire to visit a destination, while DMO vlogs were found to be more valuable and worthy of recommendation. The findings have implications for DMOs and bloggers in creating an impactful travel vlog.

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Examining the Impact of Travel Vlogs on the Indian Tourists Perception of a Destination

An increasing number of tourists are influenced by travel vlogs. However, despite its significance, it is unclear whether Destination Marketing Organizations’ (DMO) vlogs or amateur vlogs have more impact on tourists’ perception of a destination. Few studies have examined the travel flogs in the context of Indian tourists, a large and emerging source market. This quasi-experimental study which involved 20 Indian tourists (selected using convenient random sampling), examined the effect of vlogs in general and the differential impact of DMO and amateur vlogs on their perception of a destination. Participants were shown two YouTube vlogs (one DMO and one amateur) similar in content and length. The data collection involved the completion of a pre-and post-survey and a post-semi-structured interview to examine the role of style and content. The results indicate that vlogs, in general, strongly influence tourists’ perception of a destination. The amateur vlogs performed better than DMO vlogs in narration style and ambient music, while DMO performed better in content. Amateur vlogs were found to have a greater influence in triggering tourists' desire to visit a destination, while DMO vlogs were found to be more valuable and worthy of recommendation. The findings have implications for DMOs and bloggers in creating an impactful travel vlog.