Role and Impact of Social Media in Tourism: A Case Study on the Initiatives of Madhya Pradesh State Tourism

The world tourism have witnessed of crossing 1 billion arrivals by the 2012, according to the World Travel Market. And as a result, the relationship between travel and technology is closer than ever, with businesses continuing to turn to social media to promote their services and reach customers in a more intimate and personal way. By bold presence of internet in today's world, social media can be one of the most effective tools for destination marketing and advertising. The social media proved to be a major communication vehicle that spread across the region like wildfire. Tourism industry is one of the sectors that have beneficiated the most from the internet and as a result social media has become an integral part of any central or state tourism promotion and planning. The participation of online travel bookings stands roughly at 30% in the current market scenario. This figure is certainly encouraging as it sums up to $8 billion and is expected to rise in the near future.

Unlike the other states of India, The state of Madhya Pradesh has also promoting tourism related information through social media is a part of their mission. Social media has become a powerful tool in Madhya Pradesh Tourism to raise awareness about MP‘s tourist’s hotspots. It is result of such extensive effort of tourism department through social media, that Madhya Pradesh state, has made its outstanding presence in the National Tourism scenario. Present research paper mainly secondary data based, is a case study on initiatives taken by the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism to use social media as a powerful tool for branding and positioning for tourism in India and worldwide.