SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE BY TOURISM COMPANIES AND THEIR BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMICS

Abstract

Digitalization has provided many advances in the hospitality and tourism sector. Some accommodations have already implemented major changes by integrating new technologies to turn the guest experience into something unexpected and even incredible. Even if the micro-enterprises in the tourism sector have a reputation for focusing on business survival and not being risk takers, and with a limited innovation desire, the technology permeates most aspects of modern tourism business. In order to survive, tourism SMEs need to invest in digitalization. Destinations, businesses and the wider tourism sector will need to fully embrace these new technologies, in order to remain competitive and take advantage of innovation, productivity and value creation potential. Thus, tourism companies need to understand that social media and digital media are important for their future development and to incorporate them in the corporate strategies. The present paper aims to investigate social media usage of tourism companies in Timis County, as a pilot study and how the COVID-19 pandemics changed their behaviour.