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- Crisis Communication and Image Management: The Strategic Role of Social Media for Destination Management Organizations in a Crisis ContextPublication . Correa, Cynthia Candida; Alves, Helena Maria Baptista; Estevão, Cristina Maria SantosThe COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to tourism destination managers, underscoring the critical relevance and impact of crises triggered by disasters on the tourism industry. In times of crisis, a destination’s image can be severely compromised, leading to a slowdown in the local economy and the disruption of commercial activities, resulting in a reduction in tourist flows and revenue. These disruptions emphasize the urgent need for contemporary strategies aimed at safeguarding the image of tourism destinations, restoring visitor confidence, and mitigating the perceived risk associated with the destination. Social media has emerged as an essential tool for crisis response and recovery, establishing itself as a crucial dialogical space between organizations and consumers. However, a gap in the literature persists concerning the integration of social media use by Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) to project the image of destinations, promote their brands, and reposition themselves in the market during periods of uncertainty. In this context, the present thesis seeks to explore the strategic role of social media for DMOs during crises in the tourism industry, with the COVID-19 pandemic as a research setting. To achieve this, the following specific objectives are defined: (i) to assess the existing literature on the use of social media in tourism during crises and explore the implications of these practices; (ii) to investigate the communication tactics and image management strategies adopted by DMOs across different social media platforms; (iii) to analyze the behavior of the digital audience in response to the communication strategies implemented by DMOs in crisis contexts; and (iv) to explore the image of destinations projected on social media throughout the various phases of a long-term crisis. To achieve these objectives, the study analyzed the official social media accounts of DMOs in Brazil and Portugal across three digital platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) from 2020 to 2021. The study is organized into four principal sections: First, a systematic review of the literature on social media usage in crisis contexts within tourism was conducted, encompassing 70 peer-reviewed articles. Second, a content analysis model was developed to examine the messages published by DMOs, allowing for the identification, analysis, and comparison of crisis management and communication strategies. Third, sentiment analysis of user comments was performed to evaluate public perceptions of the organizations' communication. Finally, a visual content analysis of the DMOs' posts was conducted, focusing on the pandemic phases (pre-, during, and post-lockdown). The findings reveal that the Portuguese DMO exhibited significantly higher social media activity compared to its Brazilian counterpart, highlighting two distinct approaches to destination image management during the crisis, as evidenced by strategies, content, and user behavior. Notably, Instagram proved particularly effective in delivering promotional and emotionally resonant content. The main contributions of the thesis include (i) a conceptual framework outlining seven social media mechanisms for managing crises in tourism, (ii) a model for assessing the effectiveness of communication and image recovery strategies, (iii) insights into user engagement patterns and sentiments, demonstrating Instagram's effectiveness in managing destination image and the positive impact of engaging and inspirational content, and (iv) an analysis of Portugal’s social media image projection, indicating increased engagement during lockdown periods and emphasizing the importance of aligning content with the destination’s identity. This thesis provides valuable guidance for both academics and practitioners, offering practical frameworks and recommendations to enhance social media strategies and maintain brand visibility during crises.