Management of the Health Crisis on Social Media by Hoteliers in Europe

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was a major phenomenon with strong health, political, economic, and social consequences. But the health crisis was also coupled with an equally powerful communication crisis. This double crisis has of course had an impact on the world of tourism. Since mobility has been partially authorized again in Europe, hoteliers are looking to win back their customers, especially on these same social media. What is the place of the pandemic in online communication? How can the subject of the crisis be raised without scaring customers? Are the modes of communication different depending on the category of the hotel? Based on 10 hotels of different categories taken at random in Paris, London, Berlin, and Rome, the study seeks to analyze the informational policies implemented online by individual hoteliers. The results show that the variables “country” or “category” are not significant; there are strong differences from one hotel to another, which highlight a greater or lesser capacity or interest in using these communication tools to promote the establishment.