International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have transformed destination marketing, making digital media central to contemporary tourism promotion. While these platforms enhance destination visibility, they also raise concerns about cultural misrepresentation, staged authenticity, and the ethical implications of user-generated content (UGC).
Objective: This study examines how short-form digital tourism content contributes to sustainable tourism by evaluating its effectiveness in destination promotion, ethical representation, and support for sustainability objectives.
Method: A qualitative research design was adopted using non-participatory content analysis of 20 short tourism videos purposively selected from Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The sample comprised influencer-generated content, local business promotions, and user-generated travel vlogs showcasing emerging destinations across Africa and Asia. Data were analysed through thematic coding based on three key dimensions: destination visibility, ethical representation, and alignment with sustainable tourism principles. Results: The findings indicate that digital platforms significantly enhance destination visibility and promotional reach. However, they often fall short in ensuring ethical representation and authentic portrayals of local cultures. Three major challenges emerged: selective storytelling, exclusion of local communities from destination narratives, and superficial representations of tourism destinations.
Conclusion: Digital tourism marketing offers substantial promotional advantages but poses significant sustainability challenges when ethical considerations and local community perspectives are overlooked. Achieving sustainable tourism requires digital marketing practices that balance promotional objectives with authentic and responsible destination representation.
Unique Contribution: This study advances understanding of the relationship between digital tourism marketing and sustainable tourism by demonstrating how user-generated content shapes destination narratives and influences the ethical dimensions of destination branding.
Key Recommendation: Tourism organisations should adopt ethical digital marketing strategies that prioritise community participation, promote authentic destination narratives, and actively involve local stakeholders in content creation to support sustainable tourism development.