The researchers in this study sought to ascertain the level of influence of social media platforms on the travel decisions of students at Nueva Vizcaya State University Bayombong.
Specifically, the demographic profile of the students, as well as the most commonly used social media platforms and the level of influence of social media platforms on their travel decisions, were all determined. Furthermore, the significant differences in the variables were investigated where descriptive-inferential research design was used in this study. A three-part survey questionnaire was distributed to 368 randomly selected students from the NVSU-Bayombong Campus' eight colleges. The collected data was then analyzed and results revealed that the majority of student respondents are females aged 20 to 22 from the College of Teacher Education, in their first year, and of Ilocano ethnicity. Finally, student respondents spent an average of three to four hours per day on social media platforms. The most popular social media platform for making travel decisions is Facebook. Instagram is ranked second, then followed by TikTok. Social media platforms had a significant influence on the travel decisions of the student respondents where students agreed that social media platforms influenced their travel decisions primarily due to their ease of use. They were, on the contrary, hesitant to gather travel information through social media platforms. They were also undecided about whether to plan their trips using social media content and then follow some of the advice given on social media platforms. When making travel decisions, student respondents from the College of Human Ecology are significantly more likely than those from the College of Agriculture to be influenced by social media platforms. Furthermore, Kankanaey students are significantly less likely to be influenced by social media platforms when making travel decisions than Tagalog, Ilocano, Ibaloi, and other ethnic groups.

Keywords: Influence, Social media, Travel Decision, Tourist Destination

Thesis (Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management)

Includes appendices and bibliographical references