Authors: Eirini Peitzika, Maria Spita

Title: The use of social media as a marketing tool in the Greek hotel industry

Abstract

The remarkable increase in internet usage has led to the immense use of social media in day-to-day life by millions of people around the world. As a result, social media is an excellent marketing tool and comprise a great challenge for marketing executives in the hotel industry. All the above motivated us to examine the use of social media (SM) among hotel companies. The main objectives of this study are (a) to provide empirical evidence on the level of use of different social media platforms for marketing purposes by hotels, (b) to examine whether certain hotel characteristics are associated with a higher level of SM adoption, and (c) to specify the perceived benefits derived from their use.

Using a sample of 60 hotel companies located in Crete Island that are graded with 3 to 5 stars, we collect data through a structured questionnaire designed for hotel managers. The findings reveal that hotels are increasingly using social media as part of their marketing strategy, with review sites and social networking appearing to be the most used SM tools. There are also observed differences in the level of use of different SM tools among hotels.

From the results, several managerial implications can be drawn for tourism marketing and for hoteliers who want to adopt social media marketing tools. Lastly, avenues for further research specifically focusing on the determinants of the degree of SM use in the hotel industry will be discussed.