Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of social media platforms in spreading authentic views and representations of countries that are often negatively presented in mainstream media. The travel industry of Pakistan has dramatically been affected in previous years due to terror activities carried out by minority groups- that do not relate or represent the views of the rest of the country. The biased media coverage does not only create fear among people around the world but has also damaged the reputation of Pakistan. This paper assesses how international vloggers, Beck, Smiles, and Gabrielle are using their social media platforms to showcase Pakistan as a tourist destination- projecting the natural beauty of the country, the hospitality of the people and the diversity of culture to a global audience. I also outline the impact of such activities on the tourism industry of Pakistan, which has flourished over the years due to social media. 

Introduction

Platforms like Instagram allow travel vloggers (video bloggers) to create a positive destination image of Pakistan that challenges Western representations of tourist destination in traditional media. When we think about travel destinations; a country like Pakistan is often not on the list of potential places to visit – because we often hear news on mainstream media that depicts the negative side of this country. Such representation not only creates a negative impression of the country, but also creates fear among people living overseas that only associate the country with terrorism and violence, when in reality this is not the case. This paper fits in the stream of ‘social networks’, as it will discuss the use of social media platforms in sharing information and experiences, and ways in which these assist travel vloggers to share and document their travel journeys online. It also briefly discusses the formation of identities in social networks, through which travel vloggers have the power to influence and encourage their followers to follow in their steps or guidance.

Pakistan has history of some horrific terror activities taking place by minority groups, unfairly due to which Pakistan has suffered tremendously over the years in terms of its global reputation, and the impact it has had on its tourism industry. Often news that are not shared in international media is the fact that Pakistan has a huge population of 200 million people, that is formed by several provinces that consist of many political, cultural, and social differences (Torres, 2019). Mainstream media often presents a biased view of Pakistan and showcases it as a negative, and dangerous country, which makes any potential tourist think twice before visiting.

Travelling Digitally

The term “flashpackers” is used to describe these current emerging trends of “corporeal” travel converging with technologies (Molz and Paris, 2013), this is where travelling is not just done alone, but also with digital devices. This is a trend that has transformed the tourism industry, as the number of tourism bloggers and vloggers has dramatically increased since these digital devices and social media platforms have been developed. The authors, Molz and Paris further suggest that “flashpackers” are able to travel “fluidly” around the world, and with digital technologies they are able to “connect instantly with multiple networks” (Paris, O’Regan, as cited in Molz and Paris, 2013, p. 176), which is still the case today as not just travel vloggers, but tourists in general now carry a smartphone and other digital devices in their hand to ‘capture the moment’ and share with their networks.

A smartphone, digital camera and perhaps a drone are some of the only essential tools that are required to become a travel vlogger these days, as well as an online public profile to share and document your journey. There are plenty of social media platforms that facilitate tourism vloggers, such as Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat and Instagram. Papacharissi (2009) describes each social media platform to be unique in its purpose and suggests that they each require a “network architecture” to meet the different “objectives” (p. 216), it is however important to note that these social media platforms are slowly developing to become a lot similar to one another. For example, the “stories” feature which was originally introduced in Snapchat application is now also available on Facebook and Instagram. Instagram in particular has gone a step forward with its introduction of IGTV (Instagram TV) videos, which allow vloggers to create videos that can be streamed on their channels – a practice very similar to that of YouTube. The IGTV feature on Instagram is a tool used to create mini episodes which has recently become very popular among travel vloggers. When creating content for a travel vlog- photography becomes essential as it’s a “useful tool for examining the representation of a place” (Yan & Santos, 2009). With the use of tools such as digital cameras, drones and editing software’s – vloggers are able to edit and share images on the go. Along with creating content for their social platforms, a vlogger also has the responsibility to manage their online identity, it is essential to have an authentic online identity to which people can relate to, Gaden (2015) describes authenticity as a “hallmark of a good blog”, authenticity is having your own voice as compared to “a commercial, strategically planned productions of commercial media” (p. 3). The formation of an authentic online identity lets people build trust and form a relationship with the vlogger, hence they are influenced by them. 

Mainstream media vs Vloggers

Although social media platforms are defined as “tools for information and sharing ideas with others” (Obar and Wildman, as cited in Hussain, Chen and Nurunnabi, 2018, p. 226), sharing travel journeys and experiences through these has become an “ordinary aspect of most travelers’ journeys” (Molz and Paris, 2013, p. 189) because of shifts like technological, social and cultural changes in our contemporary, digital society. Chang and Chuang (2011) suggest that knowledge that is shared in virtual communities is “spontaneous” because the information is provided voluntarily and there is no expectation of being rewarded” (2011, p. 9) hence the information shared online is authentic and shared out of good will. This is why travel pages on Instagram are very popular, as it provides a timely, real and authentic travel experience that cannot be found in guidebooks and maps. Qu and Lee (2010) suggest that extensive “interactive communication” leads members to “become emotionally attached to the community” (Algesheimer et al., Kim et al., cited in Qu and Lee, 2010, p. 1263). Vloggers in this case, create videos and share their experiences almost every day to keep their audience engaged, it also makes their followers feel part of a community as they follow along on their journey. The mainstream media continuously represents Pakistan in a negative way that has made the country suffer greatly due to the loss of tourism, and the fear it has brought amongst people around the world. These vloggers have built an online identity that allows them to engage with people around the world. They are able to share first-hand experience and authentic views through social media platforms to break the stereotypical representation of the country.

Qu and Lee describe the increasing use of the Internet as being much more than just the purchasing of holidays, the authors suggest that it involves the sharing of information and experience among online communities (Qu, Lee, 2010, p. 1262). Focusing my research on Pakistan – I will share insights from a travel vlogger of her experience of travelling the country, and how she uses social media platforms to change the negative perception of people around the world. The sharing of information and experiences that Qu and Lee have suggested, is a mission for many vloggers in Pakistan- that are highlighting the beauty and positive side of the country to bring tourism back. A travel vlogger that has quickly become an internet sensation in Pakistan is Eva Zu Beck (@evazubeck). Originally from Poland, Beck is a global travel vlogger who travels and documents her journeys on her Youtube, Facebook and Instagram channels (Beck, 2019). Beck also has her own travel show on YouTube, which has over 270k followers. Within less than a year of starting her journey as a travel vlogger, Beck has gained over 400k followers across her channels (Beck, 2018). She has covered various topics relating to tourism in Pakistan, which she calls her new “home”. On 11^thFebruary 2019, she released a video called “Most Common Myths About Pakistan – Are They True?”, in this video she answers the most common myths and questions about Pakistan, answering questions like “if it is a safe country”. As an international blogger, Beck has been known to present a positive side to Pakistan that not many people get to experience. Her social media platforms not only allow her to document her journey, but she takes her followers along on a journey with her. All tourist spots and her adventures are recorded and shared with the followers- hence there is authenticity in her content. Her posts receive thousands of comments from likeminded adventure seekers, national and international followers that are inspired to travel to Pakistan after seeing her vlogs. 

Beck uses social media as a medium to share her travel experience with the world, in her recent video she explained her views on the country’s tourism potential, stating: 

“I may not be Pakistani, but I have come to care deeply about Pakistan and its burgeoning tourism industry. I strongly believe that the country has infinite tourism potential, and I can’t wait to see Pakistanis from all regions benefit from this. And, of course, I can’t wait for the whole world to see what Pakistan is truly like.” (Beck, 2019).

Sophee Smiles (@sopheesmiles), is an Australian blogger who travels the world and documents her journey through her blog and her Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube channels. Prior to her trip to Pakistan in 2015, she mentioned a sense of fear of visiting the country due to the “frightful imagery and headlines” of international media she consumed through the previous years. Her blog article “Unveiled Pakistan” (2015), describes her overall trip, and shares some insightful tips for future travelers. Smiles described Pakistan as welcoming and tremendously hospitable. Her delightful experience to Pakistan not only changed her perception of the country but has made her realise how unfairly the reputation of Pakistan is “tarnished” around the world due to the horrific actions of a minority (Smiles, 2015). She suggests that: 

“More than any other international community I’ve engaged with, Pakistanis expressed a deep desire to show tourists a great time and prove their country is so much more than the negative headlines, which attain extensive coverage through international media” (Smiles, 2015).

Qu and Lee suggest that once travelers become attached to their community, they are then “more likely support the community by showing various types of positive member behaviors” (Qu and Lee, 2010, p.1263). Hence, it can be argued that in this case, these vloggers have become attached to Pakistan and the online community they have formed on their platforms during this time. Becks suggests that Pakistan has the potential to be one of the #1 tourism destinations in the world with its mountainous regions and beautiful landscapes (Beck, 2019). This is one of the many statements that are made by these vloggers, who quickly gain a status of a “celebrity” in the country. On the 4^th of April 2019, Beck, along with other international vloggers including Trevor James, Rosie Gabrielle and Alexandra Reynolds were invited to meet the Prime Minister of Pakistan during Pakistan’s Tourism Summit. Prime Minister Imran Khan shared an image on his social media platforms alongside these vloggers with a caption “Pakistan welcomes more International & National Vloggers to come forward, join hands with Government and project the beauty of this country” (Khan, 2019). During the meeting, he states that the tourism in Pakistan is dramatically increasing year by year due to social media platforms (NN TV, 2019). 

One of the international vloggers present at the Pakistan Tourism Summit meet, was Rosie Gabrielle, a Canadian vlogger who explores the world alone on her bike and is currently travelling across Pakistan (Entertainment Desk, 2019). Gabrielle stated in an interview with ‘Kluchit Mag’ that her “purpose is to share the real essence of the country, and specifically the real essence of the people” (Gabrielle, 2019). In an Instagram post, she states: 

“Everyone told me it was too dangerous to come to Pakistan as a single female, let alone ride a motorcycle across the country. This is Pakistan. This is the country of Peace and Love. And this is my unedited experience so far. As a solo female traveling by motorcycle” (Gabrielle, 2019).

  A female riding a bike is an unusual sight for Pakistanis, yet they greet Gabrielle with “countless smiles and cheers of joy” (2019) as she makes her way around the country.   

Social Media boosting tourism in Pakistan

An interesting research conducted in Northern Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan) by Hussain, Chen and Nurunnabi (2019) looks at the tourist behavior and tourism business in the region which is well known for its spectacular views of the Himalayas, Karakoram’s and the Hindukush mountains ranges (Hussain, Chen and Nurunnabi, 2019, p. 227). The data was collected from 43 interviews from different tourism business operators, and a questionnaire survey of 576 tourists in the region. The research indicated that out of the 43 interviews, 85.7% of business operators used social media for daily activities – hence indicating the extensive use of social media platforms to bring tourism into the region. Interestingly, the research indicates that most tourism business operators in the region use Facebook to advertise their business compared to other social media platforms. The authors suggest that the government and non-government agencies should arrange for more tourism in the region, in particular international tourism as it contributes to “uplifting a country economically” (Hussain, Chen and Nurunnabi, 2019, p. 230). This study provides an interesting collation of data on the tourism industry in Gilgit-Baltishtan area. It indicates that there is a positive use of social media platforms which is used to generate tourism- it also highlights the importance of facilities required to host more tourists in the region.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, social media platforms are well known to share information and experiences, especially from influencers and travel vloggers. It is evident that the success of vloggers through social media, has the potential to influence and encourage people around the world to travel and follow the steps and guidance of a vlogger. Social media platforms have the ability to showcase tourism in ways that has never been possible before. In contrast to the content shared on mainstream media, social platforms have more authenticity as vloggers share their day-to-day journeys and plans with their followers. It is safe to say that Pakistan’s tourism industry is dramatically increasing, this is partially due to international vloggers who are showcasing the positive side of the country, reaching a global audience. By travelling across the countries, these vloggers use their social platforms to document their experiences and the natural beauty of Pakistan – the Himalayan mountains and beautiful landscapes, the hospitality of the people and the diversity of culture. Unlike mainstream media, these vloggers offer authentic travel views and experiences, through which they are breaking stereotypical image that is perceived around the world, encouraging people to visit the country and helping Pakistan to re-open the doors of tourism.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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