Facebook as a Tourism Promotion Tool: Its Role in Encouraging Algerian Desert Tourism among Young People
Keywords:
Desert tourism; Facebook; Youth; Social media marketing; Digital communication; Tourism promotion.Abstract
This study examines the role of Facebook as a digital tourism media platform in promoting
and encouraging Algerian desert tourism among young people. To achieve this objective, a
field study was conducted on a sample of young Facebook users in the city of Sétif. A
questionnaire was employed as the primary data collection instrument, comprising a set of
questions designed to address the main research problem.
The findings reveal that Facebook ranks first -alongside YouTube- among social networking
platforms used by young people to explore and discover various desert tourist destinations.
The results also indicate that user-generated content shared on social media, particularly
photographs and videos exchanged among friends, represents an effective and influential
promotional tool for desert tourism. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the need for tourism
professionals and institutions to actively manage their social media pages to enhance their
promotional impact and ensure a more professional and strategic approach to communication.
References
Al-Dughaim, K. B. A. (2012). Tourism media and the development of national tourism (4th ed.). Osama Publishing and Distribution House.
Abdelhamid, M. (2002). Scientific research in media studies (2nd ed.). Alam Al-Kutub.
Bouhouch, A. (1991). A researcher’s guide to methodology and thesis writing. National Book المؤسسة.
Bouziyan, M. (1990). Scientific research: Methods and techniques. Office of University Publications.
Zerouati, R. (2002). Research methods and tools in the social sciences (3rd ed.). Dar Al-Huda for Printing, Publishing, and Distribution.
Akram, A. R. (2009). Ecotourism: Foundations and principles (3rd ed.). Al-Raya Publishing and Distribution.
Kerkouche, F. (2012). The importance of tourism in achieving development in desert regions. Afak Journal, 31, 321.
Sebti, W., & Sahraoui, M. T. (2012). The tourism sector in Algeria: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Commercial Research and Studies, 2, 29. Mohamed Khider, University of Biskra.
World Tourism Organization. (n.d.). Tourism definitions.
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. (2001). Law No. 03-02 relating to the sustainable development of tourism. Official Gazette, No. 33.
Sebti, O. (2012). The role of media and communication in developing desert tourism in Algeria. Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 3, 322.
Salami, I. (n.d.). Desert tourism in Algeria: New mechanisms classify it among the world’s most beautiful deserts. Retrieved from https://www.assiharmagazine.com/
Al-Hiyari, I. (2021). The concept of social networks. Retrieved from https://mawdoo3.com/
Shdan, Y. K. A. (2015). The impact of social networking sites on political awareness regarding the Palestinian cause among students at An-Najah National University (Master’s thesis). Palestine.
Tghlissia, L., & Bougazhi, I. (2012). Desert tourism development in Algeria: Reality, challenges, and prospects. Euro-Mediterranean Journal of Tourism and Hospitality, 1(2), 20–23.
Shdan, Y. K. A. (2015). The impact of social networking sites on political awareness regarding the Palestinian cause among students at An-Najah National University (Master’s thesis). Palestine.
Sadiq, A. M. (2012). New media: Tools and applications. Al-Shorouk.
Shaqra, A. K. (2012). New media: Social networking sites. Osama Publishing and Distribution.
StatCounter. (2020, March 3). Social media usage statistics in Algeria. Retrieved from https://gs.statcounter.com/social/stats/all/algeria
Shdan, Y. K. A. (2015). The impact of social networking sites on political awareness regarding the Palestinian cause among students at An-Najah National University (Master’s thesis). Palestine.
Assihar. (n.d.). Assihar tourism magazine Facebook page. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/Assihar
Oushan, H. (n.d.). Electronic tourism requirements in developing countries.
Echorouk Online. (2023). The number of Facebook users in Algeria reaches 21 million. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3vmZtvj
Cheriti, F. (2025). Smartphone Screens and Growing Minds: The Benefits and Risks of Teaching Kids in a Digital World. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202508.1960.v2
Cheriti, F. (2025). McLuhan today: AI as medium, shaping the global village and extending human intellect (Preprint). Preprints.org. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202509.0543.v1
USA: 1,234
UK: 987
India: 2,345
France: 456
