Awareness, use and attitude of tourism companies towards Web 2.0: an empirical analysis of the Spanish hospitality sector

Web 2.0 has been recognized as one of the most effective marketing channels. Based on a convenience sample of 351 hotels, this study analyze how hotel managers in Spain a) are aware of the various Web 2.0 tools and use them, b) believe that these tools can affect their business and tourists’ choices and c) encourage customers to post on-line and subsequently to check these reviews. Findings reveal that there is a good level of awareness of the various Web 2.0 tools, although this differs according to the different types of tool. The most part of hotels were reported having a specific person within the organization who is responsible for managing e-reviews. However, findings also reveal that the staff rarely encourage customers to post online reviews even if, meanwhile, they reply to them quite often. Implications for hotel managers are discussed and suggestions for further research are given.