Tourism Social Media and Crisis Communication: An Erupting Trend

Abstract

This chapter studies crisis communication within the backdrop of tourism social media. The Scandinavian airline SAS is chosen as a case study due to the recognition of the airline’s social media presence during the 2010 ash cloud crisis. The study relies on netnographic and content analysis methods to examine Facebook postings throughout the life-cycle stages of the crisis as well as an interview with a social media representative at the airline. The social mediated crisis communication model is applied to situational crisis communication theory, and the findings show that social media provide a beneficial channel during a crisis. However, it is necessary for organizations to recognize stakeholders’ needs during a crisis as social media presence alone does not ensure success.

Citation

Hvass, K.A. (2013), "Tourism Social Media and Crisis Communication: An Erupting Trend", Tourism Social Media: Transformations in Identity, Community and Culture (Tourism Social Science Series, Vol. 18), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-5043(2013)0000018012