Digital Communication Tools: E-Wom in the Tourism & Hospitality Industry

Abstract

The tourism industry has been greatly influenced by the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), as in the case of word-of-mouth digital communication or e-WOM, that allows users to express opinions about their experience as tourists online. Hotels are the providers of tourist services that are most interested in this communication tool, using which they can obtain feedback and information useful for improving management and economic results. To date, academic literature on this topic has been focused on consumers, and the research contribution related to management is limited. This research contributes to the study of e-WOM as a digital communication tool for hotels in the Italian context. A descriptive analysis of this phenomenon was carried out using a survey conducted among hotel managers and marketing managers. This survey revealed different points of view on different user profiles and hotels involved. Keywords: Digital communication, E-WOM, Hotel industry, Relationship marketing, Word-of-mouth.