YouTube as a Destination Marketing Tool : a Canadian Content Analysis

This study investigated the adoption and usage of YouTube as a destination marketing tool amongst Canadian destination marketing organizations [DMOs]. A content analysis approach was employed to analyze a sample group of 1000 videos uploaded by five provinces and three major cities. Two coding schemes were developed in order to classify each video by their content and production. The findings of this study provides insight as to how DMOs are using YouTube to manage their destination image. Results indicate that there are variations between the marketing strategies of DMOs. This could be attributed to the lack of information on how to effectively use YouTube to market travel destinations. This study attempts to bridge these gaps, by providing a clear indication as to what type of content is generating the greatest engagement rate.