Facebook’s tenth birthday has arrived!
and we can’t help but notice how this social network has revolutionized tourism
for industries such as airlines, travel agencies, journalists and the traveler
itself. Its impact in travel life has been outstanding. Facebook can be thought
of as a beneficial influence but some people perceive it as an aggressor whose
threat cannot be stopped. This communication channel has been so effective that
it resembles a type of Trip Advisor.
So, how is Facebook beneficial? People
are all now connected to an immense enabler that helps us find out all about
airlines, hotels and locations. Facebook lets us know about facilities,
accessibility, if it’s price worthy, what it lacks or if it’s the most
convenient airline to use for certain places and why. Experiences and
assessments are directly shared from your friend list. Those people who you
trust more than any official website have the power to change your perception
of any airline or destination in a second through a simple Facebook comment.
Contacting travel agents, cruise
lines and suppliers becomes easier as Facebook enables you to get inside
information from their interaction with travelers. Facebook displays opinions,
reactions and destinations. As the article says, Facebook has become a type of
vision board for users. Users see where their friends are going and incites them
to plan a trip in that location and ask them, specifically, for advice. This
responses will determine a traveler’s choice.
In addition, one can be tempted to
book a trip anywhere now, not just a nearby place since now anybody can surpass
their fear of unfamiliarity as they can now find out how to travel long
distances just by asking simple questions through Facebook without need of
professional help. There is no longer price restrictions, need to know the
person or need to reveal your identity either.
So, is there any professional
benefits? The professional benefits are as extense as the social ones. This is
not just a website to interact with your friends but also a way to attract and
understand your potential clients needs and wants. This can be great for the
airline industry if they know how to use it in their favor as they can detect what
they need to improve, what they lack or what they need to leave unchanged in
the service they provide. They can also see what destinations they are missing
in their airlines and which ones can give them great profit.
For a journalist, life becomes even
easier. Time saving research and access
has allowed them to contact companies and individuals directly. They are now
able to view traveler’s photos, read about their experiences and gather data to
design and publish graphic and emotional insight knowledge.
Threat or benefit? Facebook is a catch
22, where it can waste your time it can also provide you with so much
information and advice from strangers and close friends but either way, it has
altered all lives. The article’s author gives an analogy with a point. Car’s
speed and power don’t add to “men’s minds or the beauty of their souls. But
automobiles have come, and all outward things will be different because of
their arrival” just like Facebook. Its true impact in society and journalism is
immeasurable.
An ordinary person can be advised of
locations, a journalist can get firsthand stories and information and a travel
agent or airline can understand how to market their work.
It’s a simple tool but more than effective way of instant communication which
has changed so much that it has become an essential piece of our lives already.
Even though some wish to quit the
network, we have become a society addicted to people’s feedback and reactions
which makes it impossible. Curiosity has become our way of interaction and it
has changed us in such a way that we do not know how to act without Facebook.
It’s not just a vice, but a way of life. It is a part of our daily behavior and
mindset that has spread like a disease. The only thing left for us is to wait
for the next epidemic.
About writing the blog:
We decided to write out blog about
this phenomenon because it applies to people of all ages, professions and
nationalities as everybody has been affected somehow by this social website
even though some may not notice its profound impact in our daily lives. We
believe it is interesting to point out the effect on tourism of a simple
technology. Most of us travel or plan to do so, and it is useful to know what
is happening behind our travel experiences, what is shaping them. We use
Facebook and we are sure you do so as well so we might as well understand its
relevance to this aspect of our lives.
Karen Madriga
Karen Madriga
Tina Stojanovic
Sources:
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