Economic and Social Aspects from Social Media's Implementation as a Strategic Innovative Marketing Tool in the Tourism Industry

The aim of this conceptual paper is to examine social media's central role for the creation of the sense of an online community belonging and present the items that measure their role in the creation of such a community for tourism destinations. From a theoretical perspective, elements such as the specific language, sharing of similar interests and interaction among members, allows us to argue for the sense of belonging to an online community. To date, there are no studies that relate social media with the concept of the imagined communities and sense of belonging. The economic issues emerging from the implementation of social media may be useful for companies and authorities in order to effectively allocate their economic resources.