Dr Noëlle O’Connor
Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland

Ms Annie Cowhey
Postgraduate Researcher
Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland

Dr Sinéad O’Leary
Lecturer in Tourism and Event Management Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland

In order to ascertain who the tourists are using social media outlets when searching for information on holidaying in Ireland and how this affected their purchase behaviour, a questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire was developed through an online survey tool and ran over a five month period in association with a number of tourism businesses. As part of the consumer survey, tourists were asked if the information they acquired through social networking sites impacted their purchase decision. The results showed how participants were using social media to research their trip in Ireland, the sites they were utilising most and the impact the information obtained had on their purchase decision.