The Impact of Digital Marketing on Promotion and Sustainable Tourism Development

This paper aims to analyze the influence of digital marketing in Kosovo’s tourism industry from three key perspectives: consumers, businesses, and industry experts (IEs). The research explores how digital marketing influences the identification of tourist destinations, the promotion of tourism businesses, and sustainable tourism development. The study used semi-structured interviews to collect primary data from twenty-five participants, selected through non-probability and purposive heterogeneous sampling techniques. The data were analyzed qualitatively using a thematic analysis approach, encompassing a multi-step coding process involving data categorization, reduction, and display techniques. The findings reveal that digital marketing significantly impacts Kosovo’s tourism industry. A qualitative analysis of the interviews confirms that digital media is crucial for consumers in identifying tourist destinations. Tourism businesses utilize digital marketing channels to advertise destinations, while IEs recognize digital marketing’s pivotal role in fostering tourism sustainable growth. This study sheds light on how digital marketing not only supports the promotion and identification of tourist destinations but also contributes to long-term tourism development. The study offers practical implications, providing valuable insights for tourists seeking destination information, for businesses in enhancing digital engagement with tourists, and for policymakers aiming to develop targeted, sustainable tourism strategies that leverage digital marketing trends.