ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by reviewing six major trends in society and tourism that signal the age of the consumer. The trends are the Internet and well-informed, savvy consumers; social media and user-generated content; supply exceeds demand and globalisation of tourism competition; experiences vs. attributes, benefits and features; changing consumer origins; and increasing apprehensions about safety and security. The chapter highlights the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic on consumers and tourism marketing. When the Internet arrived in the early 1990s, marketers started losing their grip on communications about destinations and tourism businesses. Co-creation is now a popular term to describe how destinations and tourism businesses cooperate with visitors, residents and others to produce online content, experiences and greater value.
