Social Media Use in European Hotels: Benefits and Main Challenges

Authors

  • Aurora Garrido-Moreno University of Málaga
  • Nigel Lockett University of Leeds

Keywords:

Social Media tools, hotel sector, social networks, Social Media adoption, review sites

Abstract

The advent of Social Media tools has been one of the most relevant technological innovations in recent years and has strongly impacted the tourism industry. Despite the numerous benefits that Social Media can offer to hotels, transforming the way they relate to customers and opening a vast array of new possibilities, its implementation implies also numerous challenges. Considering that the use of Social Media is becoming increasingly popular, it seems to be critical to understand how hotels can use them strategically to reinvent customer relationships. This study explores the topic following a mixed methodology, combining both quantitative and qualitative data from a European sample of 312 hotels. Results suggest that review sites and social networks were the most used tools. The main advantages and disadvantages of its use were identified and widely discussed.

Author Biography

  • Aurora Garrido-Moreno, University of Málaga
    Doutor e Mestre em Estudos Alemães pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Licenciado em Línguas e Literaturas Modernas e Bacharel em Turismo Professor Adjunto, ESGHT / Universidade do Algarve Editor de Tourism & Management Studies Coordenador do "Master in European Tourism Management", o qual se encontra integrado numa rede de 7 universidades europeias.

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Published

31.01.2016

Issue

Section

Tourism/Hospitality: Research Papers

How to Cite

Garrido-Moreno, A., & Lockett, N. (2016). Social Media Use in European Hotels: Benefits and Main Challenges. Tourism & Management Studies, 12(1), 172-179. https://tmstudies.net/index.php/ectms/article/view/888

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