Research pick: Travelling to atone - "Travelling with a vengeance: the influence of social media on revenge tourism"

Research in the International Journal of Tourism Policy has how social media platforms can influence holidaymakers and travellers in seeking out destinations that have been the victims of adverse events, natural disasters or conflicts. The colloquial term “revenge tourism” was coined in 2021 for this kind of vacation where people sought out experiences to combat the negative impact of lockdowns and lost time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the term has taken on a broader definition since.

Vishal Shukla of the School of Business at Auro University in Surat and Pramod Kumar Srivastava of the School of Business at Galgotias University in Greater Noida, India, examined user-generated content on social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They could glean insights into the role social media plays in both the origin and spread of this kind of tourism. The prevalence of posts in this context reflects the growing significance of social media as a space for individuals to share their travel narratives and recommendations.

The team explains that their findings have implications for tourism management, disaster management, and social media administration. From a theoretical standpoint, the study adds to our existing knowledge about the influence of social media activity on tourism. It suggests that there is a need for additional studies to examine the repercussions on local communities of this kind of tourism. There is, the work suggests, an urgent need for emphasizing the responsibilities of various tourism stakeholders, advocating for the adoption of responsible tourism practices that consider the potential consequences of tourism on local communities, and developing sustainable tourism so that “revenge tourism” however well-meaning does not have a detrimental effect on the very locations and communities it seeks to avenge.

Indeed, from a societal perspective, the research encourages destination marketers and travel companies to balance the benefits against putative adverse effects. It also promotes a shift toward sustainable practices that foster mutual benefits for both tourists and the locations and the local communities they visit.

Shukla, V. and Srivastava, P.K. (2023) ‘Travelling with a vengeance: the influence of social media on revenge tourism’, Int. J. Tourism Policy, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp.600–605.