Introduction
As world economies grow, people's living standards have improved, and the travel and tourism industry has gradually become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. Although technological advancements and the development of the internet have influenced every industry, the travel, and tourism sector has had to shift and adapt significantly. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that more than 80 percent of travel planning occurs through the internet (Dedeoğlu et al., 2019) . With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, social media, big data, and mobile internet, the tourism industry and the information and communication technology industry have become more integrated (Carmelia et al., 2019). Tourism and travel services are purchased in advance and away from the place of consumption, making the industry entirely dependent on information transfer, media resources, and means of communication. A significant step in the development of the internet has been the growth in popularity of social media platforms. Social media has enabled consumers to access information to assist in travel planning and making decisions about travel services and destinations. However, social media can both be an aid and a threat in the tourism industry. This paper explores the positive and negative impacts of the internet and social media on the tourism industry.
The internet and social media have significantly influenced how tourists carefully map decision substitutes, collect destination information, share their unique travel experiences with each other, and book their travel. Dedeoğlu et al. (2019) observed that the internet and social media allow consumers to collaborate, share experiences, communicate, and publish unique content in the form of reviews, blogs, Vlogs, and wikis. Carmelia et al. (2019) noted that social media is the key media through which consumers share travel information. Similarly, Ramaj and Ukaj (2018) observed that User Generated Content (UGC), such as destination reviews written by travelers and posted in social media communities, is frequently used to share and communicate travel-related information. The internet, social media, and globalization have resulted in destinations becoming standardized and how tourists seek out differentiation and personalized services.
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Positive Impacts of the Internet and Social Media in the Tourism Industry
Social Media and Customer Service
Customer value and service are created during pre-purchase, purchase, and after-purchase, during which consumers play different roles. The internet and social media have changed how travel companies engage with their consumers (Dedeoğlu et al., 2019) . Social media has become one of the travel industry's most important channels for customer service. Many travel companies and agencies have a social media presence that leverage to deliver customer support (van Asperen et al., 2017) . This is because existing and would-be potential travelers use social media sites for conducting preliminary research on destinations. In the travel and tourism industry, the success or failure of any enterprise depends on service.
Social media's pervasiveness has compelled most businesses to incase their presence across all social media platforms where consumers congregate. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, offer travel companies avenues to enrich their encounters with consumers and learn more about them. Globally, Facebook has approximately 2.6 billion monthly users who follow brands, want to hear others' experiences of brands, or learn more about brands (Dedeoğlu et al., 2019) . Therefore, social media presents opportunities for consumers to discuss their recommendations, reviews, and their dissatisfaction, agreement, or disagreement regarding different aspects such as customer services and customer quality (Dedeoğlu et al., 2019) . In these cases, social media interactions help validate the pre-purchase opinions of consumers for specific products and services from reliable sources in their social networks (van Asperen et al., 2017) .
Social-media facilitated interactions between consumers and travel companies to create a community that revolves around the brand and promotes brand relationships by offering them a unique and personalized service experience (Dedeoğlu et al., 2019). Thus, a well-executed social customer care strategy influences post-purchase decisions, fosters customer satisfaction and retention, increasing the profitability of travel companies (van Asperen et al., 2017) .
Social Media and Marketing
The development of the internet and Web 2.0 applications revolutionized how tourism-related information is searched for, distributed and how consumers plan for their travel. Social media platforms and the internet are the leading channels of information used by potential travelers, and they have become the primary source of travel information (Lin et al., 2020) . Therefore, in addition to traditional media, tourism and travel agencies engage with the internet and social media platforms for destination branding communications to achieve the bottom line in the highly competitive tourism industry (Ramaj & Ukaj, 2018). Travel and tourism companies use the internet and social media as a cost-effective visual marketing strategy for attracting existing and potential consumers by developing appealing and relevant visual content for promoting their products and services (Ramaj & Ukaj, 2018).
Lin et al. (2020) notes that tourism products and services are essentially visual and provide hedonic experiences. As a result, the internet and social media platforms have revolutionized destination marking by enabling companies to customize their products and services based on perceived consumers' needs, co-designing product experiences with consumers, efficient and secure distribution, and efficient and secure distribution of products to attain a competitive advantage (Lin et al., 2020) .
Negative Impacts of the Internet and Social Media in the Tourism Industry
Negative Feedback
Consumers use social media platforms to publish content that they love, but they also share encounters that they did not love. If consumers are dissatisfied with their travel experience, they may post negative feedback on social media sites to share their bad experiences with others. The negative comments and opinions come in different forms (Barreda et al., 2020) . On social media platforms like Facebook, consumers may leave an undesirable review on a page and share their negative experiences. Other consumers may decide to write a blog detailing their bad experiences and dissatisfaction (Barreda et al., 2020) . On Twitter, consumers may use hashtags and tag the company in their posts, sharing their bad experiences. Users can decide to retweet their bad experience and spread it across the network.
Negative feedback on social media adversely impacts the reputation of a destination and future marketing efforts. This is because people trust others to give insights about a travel destination or company. Barreda et al. (2020) notes that negative feedback hurts the bottom line and competitive advantage of destinations and companies. However, irrespective of the negative feedback, businesses should not leave consumers' concerns and complaints unaddressed. Responding to negative feedback strengthens an organization's relationship with its consumers, indicating its dedication to resolving issues with empathy and commitment (Barreda et al., 2020) .
Conclusion
I found both arguments persuasive on the pros and cons of the internet and social media on the tourism industry and travelers' experience. The internet and social media play a pivotal role in shaping tourists' experiences, distributing information, and ability to meet the needs of local and international markets through technology-based applications. Thus, the internet and social media empower users to publish, share, and contribute to travel content collaboratively, allowing users to learn from others' experiences while making decisions concerning their travel experiences. This positively impacts the tourism industry and the experiences of tourists.
Sometimes tourists' attractions are not as advertised due to environmental catastrophes, epidemics, and civil wars going on in tourists' destinations. Therefore, brands must thoroughly supervise their advertisements and ensure that they conform to local and international travel guidelines to avoid upsetting consumers.
References
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Dedeoğlu, B., van Niekerk, M., Küçükergin, K., De Martino, M., & Okumuş, F. (2019). Effect of social media sharing on destination brand awareness and destination quality. Journal of Vacation Marketing , 26 (1), 33-56. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356766719858644
Lin, H., Han, X., Lyu, T., Ho, W., Xu, Y., & Hsieh, T. et al. (2020). Task-technology fit analysis of social media use for marketing in the tourism and hospitality industry: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , 32 (8), 2677-2715. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijchm-12-2019-1031
Ramaj, B., & Ukaj, F. (2018). Literature review for internet marketing and social media in tourism. Acta Universitatis Danubius: Communicatio , 12 (2), 126–136.
van Asperen, M., de Rooij, P., & Dijkmans, C. (2017). Engagement-based loyalty: The effects of social media engagement on customer loyalty in the travel industry. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration , 19 (1), 78-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2017.1305313.
