A DIGITAL COMMUNICATION AND TOURISM PROMOTION: A CASE OF UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION AND TOURISM PROMOTION

Abstract

Effective communication has become a crucial tool for enhancing tourism promotion in the digital era. This study examined the role of digital communication in tourism promotion, focusing on Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Morogoro, Tanzania. The study employed a descriptive research design using a quantitative approach. Data were collected from 116 tourists through a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis in SPSS version 28. Findings indicate that digital communication significantly influences tourism promotion, with interactivity and trust building emerging as the strongest determinants of tourists’ visit intentions. Communication clarity and professionalism also showed significant positive effects, indicating that the quality and presentation of information enhance tourists’ understanding and confidence in destination choice. The model explained 55.1% of the variation in tourism promotion (R² = 0.551), confirming a strong overall influence of digital communication variables. However, responsiveness was not statistically significant, suggesting that Digital communication significantly influences tourist intentions to visit the tourism attractions such as Udzungwa, decisions without supportive factors such as trust and engagement. The study concludes that effective tourism promotion in Tanzania is driven mainly by interactive, trustworthy, and clearly communicated digital content rather than speed of response alone. The study recommends that Tanzania National Parks prioritize the strengthening interactive engagement, improving trust-building strategies, enhancing content clarity, and building digital communication capacity among tourism stakeholders.