Transformations  in
Business & Economics

FACEBOOK AS DESTINATION IMAGE FORMATION TOOL AFTER NEPAL EARTHQUAKE: THE COLLECTIVE ESSENCE OF EVENTS IN SOCIAL MEDIA DIALOGUE BY TRAVEL MARKETERS
Rakshha Kumari Karna, Ye Qiang, Arodh Lal Karn

ABSTRACT. Despite of Facebook's charm as an intercommunication information processing system, it has absorbed inadequate consideration in research of tourism crisis propagation and image restoration. In this bridge, this study analyzes the use of the tourism marketing network to restore its image after the Nepal earthquake of scale 7.8magnitudes, on April 25, 2015. It involves the statistical and mathematical model to observational and experimental datasets of their Facebook posts and fans participation. By agreeing to the multi-step model for altering place image, this knowledge also includes the systematic, objective, quantitative analysis of message characteristics of qualitative content analysis of travel marketers Facebook pages which uncover strategies, events and marketing initiatives used by Nepalese travel marketers and officials in order to restore a positive image of their country and bring back tourists after crises events. In theory, this research promotes destinations-cause fit studies and dialogic theory by relating them to events at tourism destinations via social media. In practice, the findings draw attention to the weight of subject matter to post different kinds of information, to sidestep the news media and to prelude as an added sharing conduit.

KEYWORDS: social media, Facebook, travel marketers, tourism, Nepal, earthquake.

JEL classification: M31, M37, M39.