DETERMINANTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATION IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN CAN THO CITY, VIETNAM

Nguyen Thi Be Ba, Nguyen Nhut Nam, Cao Ly Thuy An, Tran Thi Bich Huyen, Thai Cong Dan

Abstract


The study aims to analyze the role of social media communication in tourism development in Can Tho City, which is considered a distinctive tourism center of the Mekong Delta region. Survey data were collected from 200 respondents, mainly young people (82.5% aged 18–29), with high educational levels and frequent social media usage—representing the potential customer group for digital tourism. A quantitative research method was applied, including Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and linear regression. The results show that six key social media factors positively influence tourism development: information quality, usefulness, advertising, word-of-mouth, credibility, and social interaction. Among these, information quality (Beta = 0.402) and social media word-of-mouth (Beta = 0.385) are the most influential factors. In addition, Facebook (92%) and TikTok (85.5%) were identified as the most popular platforms for searching and sharing tourism information. The study confirms that social media communication not only guides but also significantly enhances destination attractiveness, particularly through visual content such as images, short videos, and authentic experiences. The findings suggest that the tourism sector in Can Tho should focus on improving digital content quality, effectively leveraging electronic word-of-mouth, and promoting advertising and social interaction to foster sustainable local tourism development.

 

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Keywords


social media, Can Tho tourism, digital communication, information quality, electronic word-of-mouth

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v11i5.2098

Copyright (c) 2025 Nguyen Thi Be Ba, Nguyen Nhut Nam, Cao Ly Thuy An, Tran Thi Bich Huyen, Thai Cong Dan

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