The use of social media by small and independent hotels in the Maltese islands

Abstract

The introduction of the internet and social media has changed the objectives of tourism companies and the consumers' decision making process and way of booking a holiday. Nowadays people are becoming their own travel agents. It has become easier for people to search on a country; where to stay, what to do and how to get around and also book their holiday. Social media has further evolved this process, and now people are consulting several sites and connecting with other people from all over the world, who have been to the places, in order to get a better opinion. Social media is an open book; it has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, companies are starting to invest and focus on social media as a marketing tool in order to better promote and communicate with people in the outside world The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of what social media is, what are the most popular sites used by Maltese hotels, how it fits in with the marketing plans and how it changed the marketing system. Throughout this research a detailed outline of what is social media, how it is best used and any suggestions of what can be done are explained. The results of the data analysis were brought out from a number of qualitative interviews and research of several social media sites. Findings from this study indicate that the use of social media is a relatively new concept. This medium of marketing is being used by a lot of companies and hotels, using it to promote special offers and events, information about the hotel and communicating with guests. With the right training, knowledge and use, hotels can gain a competitive advantage over those that have not yet introduced this medium into their marketing campaigns and with its growing popularity it could potentially become a more effective way of appealing to audiences rather than traditional ways of marketing. Hotels and other tourism sections should take this factor into consideration and invest in social media could give hotels in the Maltese Islands a respectable perception of being up to date with new trends.