The impact of integrated social communication on resident’s perception and support for tourism development

Local residents play a significant role tin he growth of sustainable tourism and have a direct influence on it. In Vietnam, local governments have organized many training sessions to raise awareness and promote residents’ support for and participation in sustainable local tourism development. However, differences in the culture, knowledge level and traditional communication methods of local people mean that this activity is not very effective. The purpose of this research is to analyse the influence of social media on residents’ value perception and support of tourism. The survey was conducted online and in person; 368 respondents from three typical communities in the Vietnamese city of Can Tho provided responses. The results of the study indicate that: (1) three elements had a direct impact on residents’ engagement in promoting tourism: social media use, social support, and value perception; and (2) there was a link between the information source and residents’ perceptions and their attitudes. At the same time, the study demonstrates that the relationship between social support (information support, emotional support, and peer support) and social media has a significantly greater impact than one-way information support from traditional government media. Some governance implications to raise awareness and strengthen residents' support of tourism are proposed.