Effects of Social Media in the Tourism Industry of Batangas Province

Social Networking is a powerful medium to advertise good things about people and places. Therefore, it is now being used to promote the tourism industry through networking sites where people mostly communicate and meet new ventures. This study aimed to assess the effects of social media in tourism industry of Batangas province. Descriptive type of research was utilized in the study. Results showed that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs and Websites were the social networking site frequently used by individuals and hospitality industry. Social media applications served as an avenue to disseminate the information faster especially for the tourism establishments with lesser cost. The main problem encountered in using social media is that, customers’ opinions, thoughts and expressions are not well presented that leads to bad impressions and unfair criticism. Action plan was proposed to address the problem encountered in using Social Media.

Keywords – Social Network, Tourism Industry, Hospitality, Technology, Facebook