Role of social media in tourism

Tourism industry is keen player in any countries economic development. It is not only the largest but one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Social media which is based on the web, mobile & cloud based technologies has a great impact on the tourism industry. It serves a huge platform as information sources for travellers. Consumers using networking sites search for the trips and share their personal experiences of a particular hotel, restaurant or airline. Social media gives various benefits such as communication, easy accessibility, greater reach, 24*7 operations, proper and timely interactions. Due to these numerous benefits, social media is very helpful in marketing particularly for hospitality and tourism. It includes organized efforts at national as well as local area to achieve maximum satisfaction of consumer. Hospitality operator can have benefits from cohesive strategic plan that will integrate social media with overall marketing efforts. This paper presents a comprehensive view of role and impact of social media on travel and tourism. It also examines the importance of social media with the help of a Case study.