What is the future for tourism marketing?

A new book on tourism marketing has just been published and Simon has a chapter in it called “Challenges of Tourism Marketing in the Digital, Global Economy.”His chapter looks at the new digital era of marketing communications as it applies to tourism, a digital era dominated by social media. It begins with an introduction to today’s digital marketing environment, and is followed by an analysis of the consumer decision process in the new digital world.  The third section takes a closer look at social media, and shows how savvy marketers around the world are leveraging new digital communication channels. Organizations profiled include Vail Resorts, Queensland Tourism, Orlando Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, The Virginia Tourism Corporation, KLM, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Disney, Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and the Sukiennice National Museum in Krakow. The next part of the chapter outlines the challenges facing tourism marketers in the digital, global economy, and a final section speculates on the future of digital marketing communications, making suggestions for further research in this area. More details about the book can be found at: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415597036/