Tidore – Social media is playing an increasingly important role in promoting tourism destinations and shaping the tourism image of Tidore Islands City. This finding was reported by Muhammad Taurid Yahya and Indra Altarans of Universitas Nuku in an article published in 2026 in the Indonesian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management (WAKATOBI). Their study examined the use of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp for tourism promotion, the role of content creators in developing tourism narratives, and the potential integration of local wisdom with sustainable tourism development.
Tidore Islands City has tourism resources that extend beyond its natural scenery. The legacy of the Sultanate of Tidore, local traditions, coastal and marine resources, and the city’s historical connection to the Spice Route form important elements of its tourism identity. These assets provide significant opportunities for tourism development, but promotion needs to introduce the destination while maintaining cultural values and environmental sustainability.
Changes in tourist behavior have made digital platforms increasingly important in tourism communication. Travelers are no longer dependent only on information provided by governments or travel businesses. They also rely on photographs, videos, reviews, and other visitors’ experiences on social media before deciding where to travel. As a result, individual visitor experiences can become promotional content that reaches new audiences.
Yahya and Altarans used a qualitative case-study approach to understand social media use in local wisdom-based tourism promotion in Tidore Islands City. Data were collected through interviews, observation, and documentation. The study involved 20 visitors to Pantai Tugulufa with diverse ages, occupations, genders, and places of origin. The researchers also examined tourism content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube published by government institutions, tourism operators, and content creators.
The findings show that social media has become an important source of tourism information for visitors. Photographs and videos of Pantai Tugulufa featuring its beach scenery, facilities, tourism activities, and surrounding landscapes help create an initial image of the destination. Several informants reported encountering information about Tugulufa through Facebook and Instagram.
However, social media is not the only factor influencing visitation. Some visitors learned about Tugulufa through family members, friends, geographical proximity, or direct familiarity with the area. One informant visited after being invited by a friend without previously seeing specific promotional content about Tugulufa online. This finding suggests that social media functions primarily as a visibility-enhancing tool that works alongside personal networks, local communities, and tourism activities.
Government tourism promotion also combines digital and conventional communication. Tourism information is distributed through pamphlets and banners and reinforced through TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Tourism events such as Sail Tidore and Hari Nusantara also provide important promotional opportunities. Photographs, videos, news coverage, and visitor-generated content from these events can continue circulating online after the events have ended.
The study also highlights the growing role of local content creators. One informant identified Jeje Kalaodi as a local Tidore content creator whose Instagram content provided information about Pantai Tugulufa. Local creators expand tourism promotion beyond official government accounts and can communicate destination attractions through perspectives that are closer to local community experiences.
Visual content is one of the strongest elements in Tugulufa’s digital promotion. Beaches, green landscapes, tourism facilities, visitor activities, and views of Mount Tidore can be effectively presented through photographs and videos. Drone footage can also provide a wider perspective of the destination. However, Yahya and Altarans emphasize that tourism content should go beyond attractive scenery. The history of the Sultanate of Tidore, maritime traditions, local cuisine, community activities, and the Spice Route can be developed into stories that strengthen the destination’s identity.
Sustainability is another important consideration. Attractive digital content can increase visitor attention, but promotional messages should remain consistent with actual conditions at the destination. One informant found that Tugulufa generally matched its social media representation but observed waste problems during the actual visit. This finding indicates that increased visibility through social media needs to be accompanied by effective cleanliness, facility, and environmental management.
Overall, social media contributes to destination awareness, visitor interest, tourism image formation, and information distribution. The experiences of 20 informants show that user-generated content, local content creators, government communication, tourism events, and personal networks all contribute to expanding the reach of Tugulufa’s tourism promotion. However, the study does not establish that social media directly causes an increase in tourist arrivals. Its strongest contribution lies in increasing destination visibility and encouraging potential visitors’ interest.
For Tidore’s tourism development, digital promotion can therefore be designed not only to attract attention but also to communicate cultural identity more deeply. Stories about history, traditions, communities, local cuisine, and environmental values can be combined with engaging photographs, videos, and narratives. In this way, social media can serve both as a promotional channel and as an educational platform for cultural appreciation and responsible tourism behavior.
Yahya and Altarans conclude that sustainable tourism development in Tidore should integrate digital promotion with local wisdom, community participation, and sustainable destination management. They also recommend further research to measure the long-term effectiveness of social media and compare different platforms to identify effective communication strategies for promoting cultural heritage, traditional practices, local products, and environmentally responsible tourism.
Author Profiles
Muhammad Taurid Yahya — Program Studi Ilmu Administrasi Negara, Universitas Nuku.
Indra Altarans — Program Studi Teknik Sipil, Universitas Nuku.
Research Source
“Social Media as a Local Wisdom-Based Tourism Promotion Strategy in Supporting Sustainable Tourism Development in Tidore Islands City”
Indonesian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management (WAKATOBI), Vol. 5, No. 1, 2026, pp. 15–34.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/wakatobi.v5i1.18
Journal Link: https://journalwakatobi.my.id/index.php/wakatobi
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