Social Media Strategies and Destination Management

Abstract

This study provides insights into social media practices and strategic considerations used by destination management organizations (DMOs). It examines a theoretical model of generic social media strategies for destination management and applies qualitative methods to analyze the social media initiatives of DMOs of Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the Scandinavian Tourist Board Asia/Pacific in the Nordic European Region. The study provides empirical evidence of emerging social media strategies among DMOs and confirms the growing importance of these new media. The findings point to the conflicting relationship between corporate culture and social media culture, the challenges innovative communication tools present for traditional management structures, poor levels of formalization and the lack of a knowledge base which results in ad-hoc decision making. Overall, the paper discusses the challenges faced by DMOs in their adoption of new technological cultures.