Instagram Use among Czech Young Generation during COVID-19 Lockdown Period with Restricted Travel and Services

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29036/jots.v13i24.350

Abstract

The paper focuses on the social network Instagram and its use by Czech university students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns with restricted travel and services in comparison to typical Instagram activity in the pre-pandemic period. As Instagram specializes in visuals, it is perceived as an attractive online tool for promoting a wide range of products and services, including hospitality services and tourism destinations. The research aimed to determine which aspects of the use of this social network were affected by the pandemic lockdown period in 2020 among the young generation of active Instagram users. The analysis of data collected from a survey of 1138 respondents, for example, showed that students often started to follow new topics - especially in the areas of politics, health, personal development, sports, or hospitality services - in the context of the pandemic and its associated restrictions. At the same time, they started to spend more time on Instagram daily, typically 1-3 hours longer than they did in the pre-pandemic period. The analysis findings suggest that this social network should be seen as an increasingly important tool for effective online communication with the younger generation with tertiary education.

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Author Biographies

Radim Dušek, Institute of Technology and Business, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Radim Dušek is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Technology and Business, Faculty of Corporate Strategy. As a member of the Department of Tourism and Marketing, he focuses on teaching subjects related to marketing, marketing communication, and retailing. His current main research interests are the latest global trends in digital marketing communication.

Nikola Sagapova, Institute of Technology and Business, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Nikola Sagapova is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Bohemia. She is an economist and biologist with a particular focus on linking economics, marketing, tourism, and regional management with sustainable development. She is now working as an assistant at the Department of Tourism and Marketing (ITB) and the Department of Regional Management and Law (USB). She is actively involved in biodiversity conservation and is a member of various inter/national organizations, including WWF, IALE, ISEE, and ČSO. In addition, she is engaged in various research projects, including a Horizon 2020 - Power4BIO project.

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Published

2022-06-30

How to Cite

Dušek, R., & Sagapova, N. (2022). Instagram Use among Czech Young Generation during COVID-19 Lockdown Period with Restricted Travel and Services . Journal of Tourism and Services, 13(24), 150–163. https://doi.org/10.29036/jots.v13i24.350