The effect of new opinion leaders in social media on consumer decision making in cultural tourism

Consumer behavior is an important discipline that refers to whole process of fulfilling wishes or needs individuals or groups wishes or needs. There are more than one factors that influence decision- making process of consumers and lead to act. Today, social media and new opinion leaders in social media take attention as concepts that affect consumers in different ways in the context of consumer behaviour. Cultural tourism is one of the area that new opinion leaders in social media affects decision-making process of consumers. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of new opinion leaders on social media on consumer decision-making in the context of cultural tourism. In the study, semi-structured interview method which is one of the qualitative research methods has been used and 16 people interviewed and fort he purpose of the research it is intended to determine if the consumers affected from the new opinion leaders in social media when they deciding their travel plans in the field of cultural tourism. The scope of the research, while investigating consumer decision making process, data collected from Instagram users that are followers of the opinion leaders on Instagram which is one of the social media networks. According to findings of this research, it has been seen that the new opinion leaders in social media affect decision making process of consumers in the field of cultural tourism. It has been determined that users have various criteria about following new opinion leaders in the field of cultural tourism, photos and videos shared by new opinion leaders compared to their personalities are more effective about following and users have a low opinon of number of followers. It was found that users, that are consumers, have established a relationship between the number of followers of opinion leaders' and their comments with a sense of trust. Furthermore, it was determined that the tourism destinations users willing to see in the future and their travel plans may change depend on sharing of new opinion leaders on social media.