Instagram and user-generated content for tourism promotion in Switzerland: users’ perception

User-generated content (UGC) on social networks plays a key role in promoting a country. While it enables users to choose their destination, this free content, which can reach a global market, is also advantageous for tourism businesses. The Swiss National Tourist Board, named Switzerland Tourism, seems to have realised this potential, as it shares content on Instagram from users who have added the hashtag #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND. The aim of this study is to understand how users perceive the use of UGC. The data obtained from an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews revealed that users appreciate this content for various reasons, such as authenticity, trust in peers and diversity of content.