Applying Social Networks in the Management of Sustainable Tourist Destinations: An Analysis of Spanish Tourist Destinations

Abstract

In this study, the presence and management of the social networks of 78 tourist destinations were analyzed for the development of sustainable tourism, with particular attention being paid to Spanish smart destinations. The variables for the empirical analysis were determined from a literature review, and it was concluded from a descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and an analysis of variance, that although the presence of tourist destinations on the internet and on social networks was notable, their management was inadequate for the development of sustainable tourist destinations. It was shown that there is a direct relationship between the number of visitors at a tourist destination and its presence on social networks. However, our analyses found that this correlation was not related to social network management; a greater number of visitors were not related to the effective management of social networks. It was concluded that smart destinations, despite having a technological advantage, did not stand out for their presence and management on social networks. The manuscript ends with some recommendations for the future