Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #227

Abstract Adventure tourism has seen rapid growth in recent years, with social media playing a major role in how destinations and experiences are promoted. This study examines whether social media engagement may help explain why adventure tourism to New Zealand appears to be falling behind. To test this, a comparative content analysis was conducted using social media posts from adventure tourism businesses in New Zealand, Brazil, and Costa Rica. A total of 45 posts were analyzed, with 15 posts from businesses in each country. Engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and comments were examined along with content type and creator information. These engagement patterns were then compared across the three countries. Results showed that Brazil received the most online engagement overall, while New Zealand posts generated significantly higher numbers of shares. Costa Rica demonstrated the lowest engagement numbers overall. The significance of this research is that it may provide insight into how social media marketing strategies influence tourism interest and help identify ways New Zealand adventure tourism businesses could improve their online promotion.