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ABSTRACT

THE PROLIFERATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE CHANGES HOW CONSUMERS RECEIVE INFORMATION AND THEIR PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR. NOWADAYS, MANY CONSUMERS ROUTINELY BROWSE REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PAST DINERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE DINING. THROUGH THE WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND SUGGESTIONS TO MAXIMISE THE SATISFACTION OF THE DINING EXPERIENCE AND MINIMISE POTENTIAL RISKS THAT MAY ARISE FROM DINING. IN THIS REGARD, THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON CONSUMERS’ DINING DECISIONS NEEDS FURTHER RESEARCH TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS FOR PRACTITIONERS TO DESIGN EFFECTIVE MARKETING STRATEGIES. THIS DISSERTATION STUDIES THE IMPACT OF FACEBOOK ON RESTAURANT VISIT INTENTION AMONG MACAU CONSUMERS BY EXAMINING THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF RESTAURANT INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK. FACEBOOK IS USED AS THE PRIMARY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. THIS STUDY EMPLOYS A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD WITH A DATA SET OF 15 INTERVIEWEES IN MACAU TO DETERMINE HOW IMPACTFUL FACEBOOK IS IN IMPACTING MACAU CONSUMERS’ INTENTION TO VISIT RESTAURANTS IN MACAU BY DISCOVERING WHICH SPECIFIC FACEBOOK CONTENT TYPE AFFECTS CONSUMERS’ DINING CHOICES AND THE ROLE CREDIBILITY OF DINING REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON FACEBOOK IN MACAU CONSUMERS’ RESTAURANT VISIT INTENTION. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT FACEBOOK PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN HELPING MACAU CONSUMERS FINALISE THEIR RESTAURANT CHOICES. MACAU CONSUMERS PERCEIVE THAT ADS ON FACEBOOK ARE MOST ATTRACTIVE AND INFLUENTIAL IN THEIR DINING CHOICES. THE COMPREHENSIVENESS AND RECENTNESS OF DINING REVIEWS GREATLY INFLUENCE THEIR CREDIBILITY AND THUS POSSIBLY AFFECT CONSUMERS’ IMPRESSION OF THE RESTAURANT AND THEIR INTENTION TO VISIT.