Audience Perceptions of Social Media Influencers’ Role in Tourism Promotion in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates: A Comparative Survey Study

Amer Ahmad; AbdAllah Aljalabneh

doi:10.4185/rlcs-2027-2763

Authors

Amer Ahmad Al Ain University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7583-024X
AbdAllah Aljalabneh Zarqa University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8129-8395

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/rlcs-2027-2763

Keywords:

social media influencers, tourism promotion, audience perceptions, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, destination image

Abstract

Introduction: This study examines self-reported following of social media influencers for tourism related information among surveyed respondents in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates and explores respondents’ perceptions of influencers’ promotional role across four tourism categories: desert tourism, coastal tourism, medical tourism, and event based tourism. Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative descriptive survey design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to a purposive sample of 2,400 social media users, with 1,200 respondents from Jordan and 1,200 respondents from the United Arab Emirates. The study does not claim national representativeness. Instead, it analyzes patterns within the surveyed sample. Results: The findings show clear differences between the two country subsamples in the degree of following social media influencers for tourism related information. Respondents in the United Arab Emirates reported higher levels of following, while respondents in Jordan were more likely to report moderate engagement. The results also indicate that respondents perceived influencers as having a notable promotional role in several tourism domains, particularly event based tourism and desert tourism, while coastal tourism and medical tourism showed greater variation across the two national contexts. Conclusion: Statistically significant differences were found in respondents’ degree of following social media influencers according to gender, age, educational level, and nationality. The findings also indicate statistically significant positive associations between the degree of following influencers and respondents’ perceptions of influencers’ role in promoting desert, coastal, medical, and event based tourism. Because the study is cross sectional and based on self-reported perceptions, the findings should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causal effects or verified offline travel behavior.

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Author Biographies

Amer Ahmad, Al Ain University

Assistant Professor at the College of Communication and Media, Al Ain University, United Arab Emirates. He holds a PhD in Media and Communication from Cairo University, Egypt. His research interests include social media platforms and influencers, media literacy, digital media, and the social impacts of new media. He is the author of Introduction to Digital Media. During his tenure at Zarqa University in Jordan, he served as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Media for three years, in addition to his teaching and research responsibilities. His academic experience includes his current position at Al Ain University, alongside his previous appointment at Zarqa University in Jordan.

AbdAllah Aljalabneh, Zarqa University

Assistant Professor in the Department of Radio and Television at Zarqa University, Jordan. He holds a PhD in Media from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. His research interests include media literacy, interactive radio and television, digital media, and tourism promotion. He worked at Zarqa University for five years and served as Head of the Department of Radio and Television for one year. Since 2025, he has been serving as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Media, a position he continues to hold to date.

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