It is right to say that social media has taken and is taking the world by storm and has changed the way firms and its customers communicate with each other. Social networking allows entities to connect with each other based on their social bonds or ties (Russell, 2007).
The likes of social networking sites such as Facebook has allowed customers, tourists and guests to allow our opinions to be heard, views to be shared and photos to be seen. Facebook’s main purpose and vision is bringing people together and therefore allows us to not only connect with the hotel and the city, but also other travellers like us, who have used or are using the accommodation in various holiday destinations worldwide. Using Facebook to book a holiday means that as a customer you can connect with others around the world therefore increasing reachability in a quick and efficient way (Rospigliosi, 2015).
Facebook offers firms in the Travel & Tourism industry, the ability to identify potential guests and customers, communicate directly with them and allow them to engage with the firm itself; before, during and after their trip. In 2012, Facebook reviewed the top stories people shared to their timelines and found that the top story being shared by users was travel experiences. 42% of stories shared to users Facebook timelines were travel experiences, more than double that of the next category (MMGY Global, 2016).
The travel and tourism industry depends heavily on Word-of-Mouth and spread of opinions which are used when consumer communication can be used as a means of multiplying a brand’s popularity through customers spreading the brand name of a product or name of a company (Hennig-Thurau et al., 2004). Facebook provide the ideal platform to do this as it is seen as one of the most powerful forces driving travel planning today (Bennett, 2012).
A recent study showed that 52% of users changed their travel plans after researching their trip using social media. The majority of us tend to look at what other people think and use either social media or review websites such as TripAdvisor. Users also tend to use their smartphones on holiday and access Facebook etc. and use friends’ and families’ holiday photos and opinions to decide where they should go and visit.
Most people are passionate about sharing their travel experiences through the use of pictures and writing what they think. It allows them to share their holidays and experiences: both positive and negative, with others. This way you can voice your opinions freely without having to have anyone oppose it.
Most tourists use Facebook as an inspiration tool to allow them to find places they would like to visit. Although they may not use Facebook to book the holiday, it allows them to see pictures of locations so they get an idea of the things they can expect on their holiday. However, some firms have recently started using Facebook to manage its bookings such as American Delta and Hilton Hotels & Resorts (seen in the image below). This can be seen as something that allows all information to be located in one place making the booking process much simple, easier and more accessible to potential customers.
So let’s look at an example from an individual perspective. You are originally from, let’s say England. You’ve always wanted to go to Las Vegas and have a tight budget but don’t know where to start. So what do you do? You could visit a travel agency or you could sit at the comfort of your own home and take matters into your own hands. The internet has now opened us up to so much useful information so you could find a place to stay, find out more about Las Vegas and what it has to offer in your own time.
Whilst researching hotels in Las Vegas, you find a site that provides you with what you want. You therefore click on its Facebook page and find reviews, opinions and pictures. What this allows you to do is find out what people like you, both tourists and travellers, think about Las Vegas as a city, and the hotel or apartment they stayed at. You also use the Facebook page to find out where the hotel is in terms of its location and its nearby tourist destinations, using its address which is connected to Google Maps.
Let’s take a well-known hotel who use Facebook well: Hilton in Las Vegas. With more than 8000 likes, the Facebook page has the ability to allow potential customers to access information about the Resort, details of what is available, contact details and mainly TripAdvisor reviews. Its ‘Visitors’ page feature allows potential guests to ask questions straight to the hotel and build that special interaction and connection with its guests. This makes them a more reliable and trustworthy place to stay. As a guest, you want to enjoy your stay as much as possible and make it worth every penny. So if you have friendly staff that is happy to help online; you are more likely to stay there. The page also has 4.1 stars out of 5 with 1,463 reviews all fairly positive which is likely to persuade you to book the hotel.
But as a customer, you should always be aware that reviews can also be manipulative in a negative way. Some people can use inappropriate images and language which you should be aware of at all times. You should also always consider that some companies can be very deceiving at trying to get their message across and may not always be what they seem.
So should you use Facebook when looking for a holiday? The simple answer is yes. Facebook now has more than enough features for you to find out information about the destination, your place of stay and most importantly what people think.
References:
Bennett, S (2012) The Impact of Social Media on Travel and Tourism [Online] < http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-media-travel-hospitality/466163> [Accessed 1st April 2016]
Hennig‐Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word‐of‐mouth via consumer‐opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the Internet?. Journal of interactive marketing, 18(1), 38-52.
MMGY Global (2016) Facebook Marketing for Tourism Organisations [Online] <http://www.mmgyglobal.com/media/1397782/facebook_marketing_for_tourism_organizations_-_mmgy_global.pdf> [Accessed 2nd April 2016]
Rospigliosi, A. (2015) ‘Social Media – The Social Web’. [Lecture notes] Brighton: University of Brighton Business School, Unpublished
Russell, J (2007) Social Networking: Applications for Health Care Recruitment, Nursing Economics, 25(5), pp 299-301
ThinkDigital (2014) Role of Facebook for Tourism [Online] <http://thinkdigital.travel/opinion/role-of-facebook-for-tourism/> [Accessed 2nd April 2016]