Impact of social media marketing efforts on Destination’s brand equity: A study among International Tourists arriving to Sri Lanka

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of social media marketing efforts on the creation of brand equity of Sri Lanka as a destination for international tourists. The other specific objectives are; to explore the social media marketing efforts of Sri Lanka as destination brand, to investigate the brand equity of Sri Lanka as destination and to recommend suggestions to improve the social media marketing efforts for Sri Lanka as destination brand. Results reveal that all factors under the social media marketing efforts namely entertainment, customization and eWOM are positively contributing to the brand equity of Sri Lanka as a destination. However, the other two factors of social media marketing efforts such as interaction and trendiness are negatively impacting on the brand equity of Sri Lanka as destination. Therefore, it is recommended that destination marketers of Sri Lanka need to give moreattention on the interaction and trendiness of the social media marketing efforts.