Marketing Suburban Tourism Destinations on Social Media: the Case of the City of Joondalup, Western Australia

This case study highlights the importance of understanding the modern suburban tourist and the role social media plays in their destination-related decision making. The appropriate use of social media to attract visitors can be challenging for suburban destinations which often lack resources and a focused social media strategy. This case study evolves around the City of Joondalup, a northern region of Perth in Western Australia, and focuses on the City’s efforts to grow tourist visitation by harnessing social media marketing. Three key issues are explored within the case study – suburban tourism, social media marketing and social exchanges through the Social Exchange Theory lens. Students are encouraged to use this case study to understand how a destination brand’s digital and social media operating environment affects its efforts in targeting various audiences on social media, and, ultimately, to uncover opportunities for growth of suburban tourism in the City of Joondalup.