A influência do Instagram na escolha de um destino turístico : Ilha das Couves em Ubatuba – SP

Abstract

This research aims to identify the extent to wich the Instagram social network exerts influence over the tourist’s decision to choose a destination, based on the attractive Ilha das Couves located in Ubatuba, on the northern coast of São Paulo. Among the mentioned concepts, Viral or Spontaneous Marketing made on social media stands out, since the internet is increasingly present in the daily lives of the population and can induce the users choices, having an important role in the touristic activity. The research was exploratory and quanti-qualitative with the application of an online form created with Google Forms, for people who visited and posted photos with Ilha das Couves location tagged on Instagram, totalizing 66 answered surveys. The Survey was divided to understand: the visitors profile, the overview of the trip, the influency of Instagram, and the respondents' expectations regarding travel. In addition to that,an analysis of photos from the perspective of semiotics was made, applied for people who visited and posted photos with the Ilha das Couves location tagged on Instagram. The results showed that the vast majority of respondents have used Instagram as a tool to look at pictures of the island, which influenced their choice to visit it, and ended up creating expectations that were mostly met. As final considerations, it was realized that Instagram can act as an influencer for a trip's fulfillment. Apart from that, the image that is created by viewing photos on social media can contribute to the visitor's experience, besides helping the marketing planning of a tourist destination.