summary 

Computer-mediated technologies allow individuals, companies, NGOs, governments, and other organizations to view, create, and share information, ideas, career interests in virtual communities and networks. For the tourism industry it is essential to create interesting content on social media at all stages of the journey. Social networking is one of the fastest growing sectors. The aim of the paper was to highlight the role of social media in the tourism industry, to reveal how social networks affect tourism, and how tourists benefit from using social networks while traveling. The research should have revealed which search engine Georgian tourists use to get information throughout their travel and whether they usually use social media platforms to buy a tourism product. With using qualitative and quantitative (population-based) methods, the results of the study showed that travelers in Georgia  actively use social media for ideas and inspiration, at the same time to buy tourism products. The results of the study will be interesting for individuals or organizations working in the field of tourism, who already use or plan to integrate social media into their sector. The use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies is ushering in a new era of global economy. Social media continues to grow and has an increasing impact on many social and economic aspects of the tourism and hospitality industry. Social media fundamentally changes the ways of search, finding and trust by travelers and tourists, as well as gives us the greatest information about tourism providers and tourist destinations. Social media offers new ways for tourism organizations to implement their business models and operations. Numerous studies show that tourists use social media to get information at least, and this should be taken into account by individuals working in the tourism sector to take advantage of the positive aspects of social media and create an appropriate image. Social media is not just about disseminating information, it can also influence tourists’ expectations and decisions. It is an important component of an online tourism domain in the context of travel planning through a search engine. My research shows how essential the use of social media is in the tourism sector. Therefore, stakeholders in the tourism industry should pay attention to the impact of social media to improve the reliability of their information and services.