The Impact of Digital Marketing Strategies on the Performance of Rural Tourism Unities in Alentejo

Abstract

At a time when electronic word-of-mouth produced at online travel agencies is of enormous importance to customers when choosing accommodation, a question that arises is: What can marketing do to increase the positive electronic word-of-mouth, decrease the negative and, indirectly, improve key performance indicators of tourism accommodation units? Our study examines how two digital marketing strategies — visibility and webcare — influence electronic word-of-mouth. It also explores these strategies’ indirect effects on key performance indicators for rural tourism lodgings in Alentejo. These lodgings represent an under-researched tourism venture that heavily relies on online travel agencies. To achieve our goal, data were collected using two techniques: netnography, using analysis of rural tourism lodging pages on Booking.com; and a questionnaire, administered to the managers of the analysed units. In the context of webcare, it was concluded that when a solution to the customer’s problem was included in the response to a review, there is a positive correlation with financial indicators of the rural tourism units. Regarding visibility, we found that adopting platform tools that increase the commission paid is positively correlated with key financial indicators. Results show that the regular use of digital marketing techniques can enhance electronic word-of-mouth and improve key performance indicators for rural tourism lodgings.