Social media as a strategic communication tool for a selected travel agency to target Generation Y

Social media have become a key marketing tool in today's world. The aim of this research was to determine which types of content on social media platforms most influence the decision-making of Generation Y when planning travel and selecting travel agency services. Within both the theoretical and empirical parts of the thesis, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was chosen as the underlying framework for formulating the research questions and hypotheses. The research was conducted using a quantitative strategy through an online survey, in which 334 Millennial respondents participated. The results of the statistical analysis clarified that the respondents' intention to use travel agency services is significantly influenced by their attitude towards visual content, their trust in influencers, and the perceived value of authentic customer reviews. Various statistical methods were employed for data processing, particularly to validate the hypotheses, including descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, ANOVA tests, T-tests, and the Chi-square test. The results indicate that the strategic use of social media — especially authentic content and influencer marketing — can significantly contribute to successfully engaging the selected generation and tapping into their travel potential. Based on the findings, recommendations were proposed both for future research and for the selected travel agency, Go2, which was partially the focus of the practical part of this thesis. In conclusion, it can be stated that the study confirmed the strong contribution of social media in the tourism sector, where they serve as highly effective tools for reaching younger generations.