Can X (Twitter) be used to Predict Tourism Patterns? Yes!

This study evaluates and compares X (Twitter) as an alternative data source to standard tourism data. The study focuses on Bali, in Indonesia as Indonesia ranks 6th globally in active X users. The results indicate a strong correlation (0.89) between X data and official government sources on domestic tourist numbers. Despite potential challenges like multiple arrivals and extended stays, the findings indicate the usefulness of incorporating social media data within formal analyses of tourist flows and suggest exploration of other platforms for a more comprehensive study.