The social media capital of the universe: What does this mean for brazilian tourists to the us?

Research has examined the role of social media during crises in various fields; however, there is a paucity of research in this area as it relates to tourism. Moreover, few studies have examined at-risk populations, such as tourists, in times of crisis. To assess the influence of risk perceptions on the likelihood to turn to various information sources in the event of a crisis during travel, a national survey of 483 Brazilian travelers to the US was conducted. Results indicated that there were two travel risk groups: low and high perceived risk. Travelers in the high perceived risk group were more likely to turn to the following information sources-television, text messages, friends/relatives, travel agents, local residents, consulate general, local law enforcement, Internet, social media, concierge, other tourists, newspaper, local tourism office, state tourism office, radio-in the event of a crisis during travel. Although the preferred crisis information sources varied somewhat by travel risk group, the most preferred sources were text messages, friends/relatives, and television.