ABSTRACT
Social media have been predominantly conceptualized as a type of information source for travellers. With the help of social media, word of mouth becomes asynchronous and very public and persistent. Most importantly, social media provide easy access to such personal sources beyond one's immediate social circle. Travel consumer studies indicate that the impact of social media is the greatest in the pre-trip phase, with consumers using reviews and other contents to get ideas, evaluate alternatives and narrow down their choices. Social media platforms critically depend on those consumers that not only use social media as information sources but also actively contribute. However, social media use not only brings happiness to travel consumers. The heightened opportunities for social comparison provided by social media can also lead to what researchers have coined as 'facebook envy'. Consumers not only interact with other consumers via social media but also connect and interact with travel companies and their favourite travel brands through social media platforms.
