ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an update and in-depth insights into the latest developments and trends in relation to social media in travel, tourism and hospitality. It aims to address four major areas in which research and industry practice have evolved and changed within the travel, tourism and hospitality social media context. The book analyzes issues related to the social media changes occurring in travellers' behavior. It discusses various social media metrics and analytical methods/frameworks and shows how tourism firms can use them to solve specific business problems. The book presents an overview and practical examples of the use of various social media metrics and methods for collecting, analyzing and interpreting social media generated data for solving business problems. It also provides important definitions, perspectives and theoretical frameworks that tourism suppliers need to adopt for effectively implementing big data strategies.
