Social Media for Sustainable Tourism Development Thesis
Abstract The world of communication is fast changing today. The modes of communication are changed by the advent of internet based social networking websites. The social networking websites are shrinking the contact time and contact base. Most people, companies and entities can reach a worldwide audience at phenomenally lower costs. The strength of this new channel lies in the ease of use, availability to consumers and most importantly the effectivity of the communication. The results can be seen in real time and constant stream of analytical tools are available to better market yourself or products. It has been noted that the implications of social media for the hospitality industry is immense. But at the same it also has been noted that there is void of real and creative strategy to effectively use this medium. Most large organizations outsource the working and operations to PR agencies. Smaller organizations meagrely shadow the strategies of larger organizations. There are few game changers which are able to benefit from its social media efforts tremendously. Sustainable tourism development will gain popularity and strength by increased consumer awareness. For e.g. Nike changed because of the constant glare of the public. Companies and local economies and population will tremendously benefit from increased awareness. A raised awareness will translate into profits for partner companies and development of local population. With an alternative source of income the environment is pardoned. Thus I felt an effort must be made to give competitive edge to sustainable tourism development projects. This dissertation’s objectives are To understand consumer point of view and Create an internet based marketing plan Aiming at Increasing consumer awareness and recognition worldwide, Create a consumer facing entity which is loved by people Thus making it profitable for companies to behave responsibly and to Build loyal communities which will support efforts in difficult times and Lastly increase sales
