Investigating the Impact of Social Media on Attracting International Tourists (Case Study: The Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with its historical, cultural, and natural attractions, has great potential for attracting international tourists. However, the extent to which social media is effectively used to promote this destination and its influence on tourists' decision-making has been less explored. The aim of the present study is to examine the impact of social media on attracting international tourists, with a focus on the Kurdistan Region. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of methodology. Data was collected using library research and a questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by academic experts and tourism specialists, and its reliability was tested and approved using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The statistical sample of this research consists of ۳۸۳ international tourists who entered the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region and were selected through non-random convenience sampling. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and the one-sample t-test. The results indicate that, considering the widespread use of the Internet and social media by tourists to obtain information, the Internet and tourism advertisements within it, as well as social media platforms, can serve as effective tools for marketing and presenting tourism-related content. This, in turn, can significantly contribute to attracting more tourists and boosting the tourism industry and economy of the Kurdistan Region.

کلیدواژه ها:

Social Media ، International Tourism ، Digital Marketing ، Kurdistan Region of Iraq ، Tourism Advertising