Adoption of Social Media Marketing among Small and Medium Enterprises in Arusha’s Culinary Tourism Sector, Tanzania

Abstract

Social media has become a vital marketing channel for tourism enterprises, transforming how businesses attract visitors and build destination appeal. However, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies still struggle to adopt Social Media Marketing (SMM), limiting their competitiveness in digital tourism markets. This study explored factors influencing SMM adoption among 164 food-based SMEs in Arusha’s culinary tourism sector. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis and Binary Logistic Regression, the study identified technological, environmental, organizational, and innovativeness factors as key determinants. Findings show that environmental pressures including tourist expectations, institutional influences, and e-reputation, exert the strongest impact on adoption, while technological usefulness and innovativeness also encourage uptake. Conversely, organizational barriers such as limited resources, weak digital systems, and insufficient entrepreneurial orientation hinder adoption. Guided by the Technology-Organization-Environment framework and Diffusion of Innovation theory, the study demonstrates how external pressures and perceived innovation benefits shape adoption. It recommends investing in digital capabilities, content quality, and structured customer engagement to enhance overall competitiveness.