Examining the pulse of the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific region: a systematic review of social media

Purpose – Social media continues to be the major influencer in the lives of the millennial and generation-z in many regions of the world; especially in influencing their travel decisions. In order to validate such relationship, a systematic literature review with an end goal of closing the current gaps in knowledge with regard to the impact of social media on tourism in the Asia-Pacific region has been conducted. Design/Methodology – We performed a systematic search of relevant literature through various databases including Scopus, ScienceDirect and ProQuest. In total, 25 articles were taken into consideration in which the review protocol made use of specific techniques such as PRISMA. Approach – We conceptualized the differences and similarities in the Asia-Pacific tourism industry influenced by social media. Findings – As a contribution to knowledge and practice, we found that the usage of social media for tourism marketing purposes is strongly correlated to the tourism industry in many countries of the APAC region. However, it has not yet been generalized as a popular tool in other nations in the region. Originality of the research – This study provides practical and future recommendations concerning the influence of social media in the Asia-Pacific context that has become increasingly popular. Asia-Pacific governments need to introduce social media inclusive tourism marketing to capture the full potential of their tourism industry.