Alonso Barrientos

#UWSMC

SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

USE OF SM IN TRAVEL INDUSTRY

• Airlines use Twitter, FB to offer last minute offers, fare specials, inform delays & weather

• Hotels use SM to communicate and keep customers involved - "virtual concierge""

• Travel businesses offer Contests , giveaways , prices

• Travel orgs looking for long term engagement and promote customer loyalty

• Customer perception drives high rate of SM adoption

• Travel Blogs by companies, customers.

SAMPLES

• Delta passengers can buy tickets on Facebook's Delta page

• Hyatt offers "virtual concierge" through twitter - replies within one hour

• Clipper vacations offers discounts on its facebook page

• United offers "twares" - special offers through twitter

• AirTran U Creeper FB page offers 18-24 y.o. stand-by tix discounts

• VirtualTourist.com - travelers conversations, blogs, photos, reviews, personal travel maps

• TripAdvisor - "the best and worst revealed"

COMMON MISTAKES

• Abandoning accounts

• Spamming

• Over promotion

• Multiple twitter or fb accounts for one brand

• Overuse of SM perceived as step-down in customer service

• Not following up on customers feedback, questions

REFERENCES

• http://www.revenews.com/barrysilverstein/social-media-lessons-from-the-travel-industry/

• http://dannybrown.me/2010/04/07/social-media-and-travel-by-jeanne-dee/

• Facebook pages of Delta, Victoria Clipper, AirTran U

• Twitter accounts for United, Hyatt

• Tripadvisor.com

• http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-09-07-travelsocialmedia07_CV_N.htm