Social media: new tool for promoting hospitality facilities in the tourist destination

Social media and their growing role in tourism are increasingly becoming a topic of research. From searching information for decision making, social media play an important role in many aspects, especially as a tool that hotel accommodation facilities can use to promote itself in the tourist destination. Social media today are increasingly used as a means of communication between individuals, and this with the emergence of social media disrupts the traditional model of services for tourists, especially in the hospitality industry. It’s important to note that communications in the virtual world are very fast and news are spreading faster than in any form of communication on the Internet. It is no longer necessary for tourists to wait, to communicate physically so that they can understand the current situation of the hotel accommodation facility in the tourist destination. Social media being part of the digital technology that now connects tourists with the opinion and recommendations of millions of people, including friends on their social networks and common travelers with similar opinions that they never actually met. With most hotels being dependent on “word of mouth “, which with the advent of social media has spread beyond from a limited group to the whole world, and good reviews from loyal guests, makes the social media a tool for marketing promotion and branding in the tourist destination and on the tourism market. The use of social media has become widespread, and tourists are constantly using social media to express satisfaction or frustration for their experiences, were based on their experience expresses on social media, other potential tourists will determine their travel plans for their holiday. Communicating with consumers is the key to business success. However, although this can be said for any business, this is particularly true within the hospitality industry. Hoteliers and hotel accommodation facilities should embrace the new ways in which tourists interact and be prepared for changes in tourist’s behavior, they must not ignore the impact of this phenomenon in their business. By keeping up with social media development trends and developing a dynamic online presence, hotel accommodation facilities can quickly adapt, promote and gain the advantage of attracting tourists in the tourist destination