Social media is influencing consumer behavior and communications in the marketplace. Travellers will increasingly rely on other travellers’ advice, versus advertising, guidebooks and printed material. User-generated content is rapidly gaining traction as an input into the consumer purchase decision making process. The development of Web 2.0 for travel and TripAdvisor in particular as the largest online network of travel consumers demonstrate the key factors of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Marketers should use social media to try to stimulate conversation, encourage interaction, and engage in ways that traditional marketing towards developing loyalty, generating interesting content and increasing awareness. This will have a direct impact on the reputation of tourism organization and destinations as well as their attractiveness and competitiveness.

This interactive seminar will engage tourism, hospitality, marketing and technology professionals in a dialogue and will encourage them to consider how they can manage their reputation online. The discussion will focus on monitoring online conversations about brands and executing online strategies to manage the online reputation of organizations. It will include short presentations from research results undertaken at Bournemouth University and digital marketing agencies. An open discussion will be encouraged between researchers and professionals. This event has been chosen as there is a growing research agenda on the impact of social media on organisational reputation for tourism destinations and organisations. Thus researchers recognise the need to engage researchers, marketing and tourism industry professionals in discussion.

The event will promote social science by exploring how using a social science approach can help unpack the impacts of social media in tourism. It will emphasize the need to examine evidence, think critically and change practice as a result. The topic is of particular value to the target audience given that Bournemouth and the area around depend on tourism as a major economic activity. It will also facilitate participation from professionals who are in urgent need to manage their reputation on social media.

The Festival of Social Science is run by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) from 2-9 November 2013.The ESRC Festival of Social Science has helped over 500 researchers to engage with a new audience, including individuals from business, charities, policy, teenagers, pensioners, parents and the general public. This year’s ESRC Festival of Social Science has over 170 creative and exciting events aimed at encouraging businesses, charities, government agencies, and schools and college students to discuss, discover and debate topical social science issues. The Festival of Social Science celebrates some of the country’s leading social science research, giving an exciting opportunity to showcase the valuable work of the UK’s social scientists and demonstrate how their work has an impact on all our lives.

Chaired by Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Director eTourism Lab, School of Tourism Bournemouth University 

Organisers: Dimitrios Buhalis, Alessandro Inversini, Deborah Sadd, Philip Alford

Indicative Event Programme – Indicates confirmed 

REGISTER https://esrc-tourism-socialmedia.eventbrite.co.uk/

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/515105315229266/