"What is Facebook's impact on the Tourism Industry?"

What is Facebook’s impact on the tourism industry?

http://tourismintelligence.ca/2007/09/21/what-is-facebook%E2%80%99s-impact-on-the-tourism-industry/

Today, social medias and web 2.0 are to be taken into account in any business, it’s clear that their role is more and more obvious in marketing, sales and management. Their influences are important and the consequences for a hotel or a restaurant which would neglect those new technologic tools could be particularly bad and considerably affect its image. Can we look at the real influences and impacts of them in the tourism business?

In Montreal, an organization looked at Facebook and its impact in the culture and urban sectors. They observe that this media became inescapable for all tourism businesses. This media allows organizations two major news uses, powers:

Communication: Lots of organizations (ski resorts, art galleries) use Facebook in order to communicate towards very specific clients, the target is more clear and defined. They can target the public they want to communicate to and choose the right message to the right person.

Lots of hotels for example promote their events through this social media and some owners don’t hesitate to use their own network, their profile and network of virtual friends to promote his business events. Lots of tourism businesses also develop their own application on the social network, a widget: for example, Fly by Farecast to know the best rates and forecasts about one’s preferred destination or TravelPlanner.

Recruiting: it’s also a nice way to recruit new candidates and new employees as you can have access to lots of details on the person you want to look at. Localization, availability, competences…

The main advantage of this kind of distribution and promotion is that it’s completely free.

So, the role of influence Facebook plays today is well recognized. It’s not anymore simple advertising banners on the top of a web page but a real way to express himself, to discuss about a “brand”. Actually, every member can create a page or a group for or against a certain brand (example of Delaa Airlines in the source article). As Facebook is an interactive platform, people exchange their points of view. In the tourism business, advice from friends or family plays a big role; So, is Facebook really important because of the big network of friends it represents.