The Effect of Social Media on Foreign Travelers’ Travel Decision-Making Process: Evidence from Sri Lanka

This study investigates the role of social media in foreign travelers’ decision-making processes when visiting Sri Lanka. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 travelers from America, China, India, Australia, Bangladesh, Spain, England, Japan, and the Netherlands who visited Sri Lanka in 2025. The study explores three main areas: the importance of social media across the pre-trip, during-trip, and post-trip stages; the influential factors shaping travelers’ decisions; and the most effective platforms for promoting Sri Lankan destinations. Findings indicate that social media strongly influences travelers’ destination awareness, itinerary planning, real-time trip adjustments, and post-trip sharing. Content quality, peer influence, emotional engagement, influencer credibility, and platform features emerged as key factors. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook were identified as the most effective platforms. These insights provide practical implications for Sri Lanka’s tourism marketing strategies and contribute to the broader literature on social media and tourism. The findings confirm the multi-stage influence of social media in the travel decision-making process. Pre-trip, it inspires and informs travelers; during the trip, it enables flexibility and real-time decisions; post-trip, it sustains engagement through sharing and advocacy. The analysis also demonstrates that content quality, peer influence, influencer credibility, emotional resonance, and platform design are decisive factors. These align with prior studies (Hussain, 2024; Pourazad et al., 2025; Wang, 2022), reinforcing social media’s dual role as both an informational and motivational tool.