Content Marketing as a Tourism Promotion Strategy: A Conceptual Review
Keywords:
Content marketing, Tourism promotion, Digital marketing
Abstract
The global tourism industry is characterized by a fluctuating and unpredictable market environment, where advanced marketing approaches are essential to gaining and maintaining competitiveness. Content marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy to promote tourism services in such conditions. Its potential in achieving various marketing objectives makes it one of the primary choices for managing communication with target audiences. As online technologies develop, modern trends emerge at the same pace. Adopting these trends and technologies ensures an effective influence on travelers' behavior. Furthermore, to establish long-lasting and valuable relationships with customers, content marketing decisions must be data-driven. Thus, successful management of marketing communications in the tourism industry relies heavily on content creation, distribution across various channels, and the evaluation of its effectiveness. However, challenges related to measurement precision persist. To address these challenges in content marketing management within the tourism sector, it is essential to regularly examine the issue as it evolves both theoretically and in terms of practical application. The issue is multifaceted and requires complex research considering multiple factors. This paper reviews the concept from various perspectives to analyze the key aspects of modern content marketing management in tourism, which is the objective of the study. To achieve this, a contemporary literature review is conducted. The final section of the paper provides conclusive remarks and findings regarding the management of content marketing in the current conditions of the tourism industry and technological advancements.
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References
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8. Chaffey, D. (2024). The Content Marketing Matrix. Smart Insights. https://www.smartinsights.com/content-management/content-marketing-strategy/the-content-marketing-matrix-new-infographic/
9. Chen, S. X., Wang, X. K., Zhang, H. Y., Wang, J. Q., & Peng, J. J. (2021). Customer purchase forecasting for online tourism: A data-driven method with multiplex behavior data. Tourism Management, 87, 104357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104357
10. Cillo, V., Rialti, R., Del Giudice, M., & Usai, A. (2021). Niche tourism destinations’ online reputation management and competitiveness in big data era: Evidence from three Italian cases. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(2), 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2019.1608918
11. Du Plessis, C. (2017). The role of content marketing in social media content communities. South African Journal of Information Management, 19(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajim.v19i1.866
12. Fam, K. S., Liat Cheng, B., Cham, T. H., Tan Chia Yi, M., & Ting, H. (2023). The role of cultural differences in customer retention: evidence from the high-contact service industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 47(1), 257-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211014944
13. Gurjar, P., Kaurav, R. P. S., & Thakur, K. S. (2019). Content marketing: Concepts and its relevance in the tourism industry. In Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Digital Strategies for Organizational Success. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3307713
14. Ho, J., Pang, C., & Choy, C. (2020). Content marketing capability building: a conceptual framework. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 14(1), 133-151. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-06-2018-0082
15. Hosany, S., Martin, D., & Woodside, A. G. (2021). Emotions in tourism: Theoretical designs, measurements, analytics, and interpretations. Journal of Travel Research, 60(7), 1391-1407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520937079
16. Kauffmann, E., Peral, J., Gil, D., Ferrández, A., Sellers, R., & Mora, H. (2019). Managing marketing decision-making with sentiment analysis: An evaluation of the main product features using text data mining. Sustainability, 11(15), 4235. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154235
17. Koob, C. (2021). Determinants of content marketing effectiveness: Conceptual framework and empirical findings from a managerial perspective. PloS one, 16(4), e0249457. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249457
18. Law, R., Chan, I. C. C., & Wang, L. (2018). A comprehensive review of mobile technology use in hospitality and tourism. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 27(6), 626-648. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2018.1423251
19. Li, J., Xu, L., Tang, L., Wang, S., & Li, L. (2018). Big data in tourism research: A literature review. Tourism management, 68, 301-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.03.009
20. Magno, F., & Cassia, F. (2018). The impact of social media influencers in tourism. Anatolia, 29(2), 288-290. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2018.1476981
21. Mariani, M., & Baggio, R. (2022). Big data and analytics in hospitality and tourism: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(1), 231-278. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2021-0301
22. Mathew, V., & Soliman, M. (2021). Does digital content marketing affect tourism consumer behavior? An extension of technology acceptance model. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(1), 61-75. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1854
23. Müller, J., & Christandl, F. (2019). Content is king–But who is the king of kings? The effect of content marketing, sponsored content & user-generated content on brand responses. Computers in human behavior, 96, 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.02.006
24. Narangajavana Kaosiri, Y., Callarisa Fiol, L. J., Moliner Tena, M. Á., Rodríguez Artola, R. M., & Sánchez García, J. (2019). User-generated content sources in social media: a new approach to explore tourist satisfaction. Journal of Travel Research, 58(2), 253-265. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287517746014
25. Nieves-Casasnovas, J. J., & Lozada-Contreras, F. (2020). Marketing communication objectives through digital content marketing on social media. Forum empresarial, 25(1), 57-82. Centro de Investigaciones Comerciales e Iniciativas Académicas. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=63166575003
26. Pektas, S. Y., & Hassan, A. (2020). The effect of digital content marketing on tourists’ purchase intention. Journal of Tourismology, 6(1), 79-98. https://doi.org/10.26650/jot.2020.6.1.0011
27. Pop, R. A., Săplăcan, Z., Dabija, D. C., & Alt, M. A. (2022). The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions: The role of trust in consumer decision journey. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(5), 823-843. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1895729
28. Poradova, M. (2020). Content marketing strategy and its impact on customers under the global market conditions. In SHS Web of Conferences (The 19th International Scientific Conference Globalization and its Socio-Economic Consequences 2019 – Sustainability in the Global-Knowledge Economy, Vol. 74, p. 01027). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20207401027
29. Qalati, S. A., Barbosa, B., & Deshwal, P. (2024). Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Marketing Development in Online and Offline Settings. Sustainability, 16(7), 2829. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072829
30. Rodríguez-Ibánez, M., Casánez-Ventura, A., Castejón-Mateos, F., & Cuenca-Jiménez, P. M. (2023). A review on sentiment analysis from social media platforms. Expert Systems with Applications, 223, 119862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2023.119862
31. Sari, N., Mahrinasari, M. S., & Erlina, E. (2023). Digital Content Marketing Influences People to Visit Tourist Destinations. International Journal of Advances in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(3), 212-221. https://doi.org/10.56225/ijassh.v2i3.244
32. Saura, J. R., Palos-Sánchez, P., & Cerdá Suárez, L. M. (2017). Understanding the digital marketing environment with KPIs and web analytics. Future internet, 9(4), 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi9040076
33. Scozzese, G., & Granata, G. (2019). The action of e-Branding and Content marketing to improve consumer relationships. European Scientific Journal, 15(1), 58-72. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2019.v15n1p58
34. Silva, S. C., Duarte, P. A. O., & Almeida, S. R. (2020). How companies evaluate the ROI of social media marketing programmes: insights from B2B and B2C. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(12), 2097-2110. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-06-2019-0291
35. Taqi, M., Gurkaynak, N., & Gencer, M. (2019). Marketing concept evolution: A bibliometrics co-occurrence analysis. Marketıng And Management of Innovatıons, 2, 185-197. http://doi.org/10.21272/mmi.2019.2-16
36. Vinerean, S. (2017). Content marketing strategy: Definition, objectives and tactics. Expert journal of marketing, 5(2), 92-98. http://hdl.handle.net/11159/1982
37. Wu, Q. M. (2024). The Influence of Online Reviews on the Purchasing Decisions of Travel Consumers. Sustainability, 16(8), 3213. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083213
38. Yaşarsoy, E., Çalişkan, G., & Pamukçu, H. (2022). The place and importance of digital reputation management in tourism establishments. Revista Turismo & Desenvolvimento, 39, 41-63. https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v39i0.30336
2. Abashidze, I. (2022). Leveraging the Characteristics of Location-Based Communication in Online Marketing. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 7(6), 14-21. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2022.7.6.1686
3. Asnawati, A., Nadir, M., Wardhani, W., & Setini, M. (2022). The effects of perceived ease of use, electronic word of mouth and content marketing on purchase decision. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6(1), 81-90. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2021.10.001
4. Babatunde, S. O., Odejide, O. A., Edunjobi, T. E., & Ogundipe, D. O. (2024). The role of AI in marketing personalization: A theoretical exploration of consumer engagement strategies. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 6(3), 936-949. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i3.964
5. Balio, S., & Casais, B. (2021). A content marketing framework to analyze customer engagement on social media. In Research Anthology on Strategies for Using social media as a Service and Tool in Business (pp. 320-336). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-9020-1.ch016
6. Barbosa, B., Saura, J. R., Zekan, S. B., & Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2024). Defining content marketing and its influence on online user behavior: a data-driven prescriptive analytics method. Annals of Operations Research, 337(Suppl 1), 17-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-023-05261-1
7. Bayraktar, F. (2024). Cross-country analysis of digital content marketing in tourism. Journal of multidisciplinary academic tourism, 9(2), 165-177. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2024-9-2-165
8. Chaffey, D. (2024). The Content Marketing Matrix. Smart Insights. https://www.smartinsights.com/content-management/content-marketing-strategy/the-content-marketing-matrix-new-infographic/
9. Chen, S. X., Wang, X. K., Zhang, H. Y., Wang, J. Q., & Peng, J. J. (2021). Customer purchase forecasting for online tourism: A data-driven method with multiplex behavior data. Tourism Management, 87, 104357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104357
10. Cillo, V., Rialti, R., Del Giudice, M., & Usai, A. (2021). Niche tourism destinations’ online reputation management and competitiveness in big data era: Evidence from three Italian cases. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(2), 177-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2019.1608918
11. Du Plessis, C. (2017). The role of content marketing in social media content communities. South African Journal of Information Management, 19(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajim.v19i1.866
12. Fam, K. S., Liat Cheng, B., Cham, T. H., Tan Chia Yi, M., & Ting, H. (2023). The role of cultural differences in customer retention: evidence from the high-contact service industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 47(1), 257-288. https://doi.org/10.1177/10963480211014944
13. Gurjar, P., Kaurav, R. P. S., & Thakur, K. S. (2019). Content marketing: Concepts and its relevance in the tourism industry. In Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Digital Strategies for Organizational Success. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3307713
14. Ho, J., Pang, C., & Choy, C. (2020). Content marketing capability building: a conceptual framework. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 14(1), 133-151. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-06-2018-0082
15. Hosany, S., Martin, D., & Woodside, A. G. (2021). Emotions in tourism: Theoretical designs, measurements, analytics, and interpretations. Journal of Travel Research, 60(7), 1391-1407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520937079
16. Kauffmann, E., Peral, J., Gil, D., Ferrández, A., Sellers, R., & Mora, H. (2019). Managing marketing decision-making with sentiment analysis: An evaluation of the main product features using text data mining. Sustainability, 11(15), 4235. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154235
17. Koob, C. (2021). Determinants of content marketing effectiveness: Conceptual framework and empirical findings from a managerial perspective. PloS one, 16(4), e0249457. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249457
18. Law, R., Chan, I. C. C., & Wang, L. (2018). A comprehensive review of mobile technology use in hospitality and tourism. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 27(6), 626-648. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2018.1423251
19. Li, J., Xu, L., Tang, L., Wang, S., & Li, L. (2018). Big data in tourism research: A literature review. Tourism management, 68, 301-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.03.009
20. Magno, F., & Cassia, F. (2018). The impact of social media influencers in tourism. Anatolia, 29(2), 288-290. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2018.1476981
21. Mariani, M., & Baggio, R. (2022). Big data and analytics in hospitality and tourism: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(1), 231-278. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2021-0301
22. Mathew, V., & Soliman, M. (2021). Does digital content marketing affect tourism consumer behavior? An extension of technology acceptance model. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(1), 61-75. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1854
23. Müller, J., & Christandl, F. (2019). Content is king–But who is the king of kings? The effect of content marketing, sponsored content & user-generated content on brand responses. Computers in human behavior, 96, 46-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.02.006
24. Narangajavana Kaosiri, Y., Callarisa Fiol, L. J., Moliner Tena, M. Á., Rodríguez Artola, R. M., & Sánchez García, J. (2019). User-generated content sources in social media: a new approach to explore tourist satisfaction. Journal of Travel Research, 58(2), 253-265. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287517746014
25. Nieves-Casasnovas, J. J., & Lozada-Contreras, F. (2020). Marketing communication objectives through digital content marketing on social media. Forum empresarial, 25(1), 57-82. Centro de Investigaciones Comerciales e Iniciativas Académicas. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=63166575003
26. Pektas, S. Y., & Hassan, A. (2020). The effect of digital content marketing on tourists’ purchase intention. Journal of Tourismology, 6(1), 79-98. https://doi.org/10.26650/jot.2020.6.1.0011
27. Pop, R. A., Săplăcan, Z., Dabija, D. C., & Alt, M. A. (2022). The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions: The role of trust in consumer decision journey. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(5), 823-843. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1895729
28. Poradova, M. (2020). Content marketing strategy and its impact on customers under the global market conditions. In SHS Web of Conferences (The 19th International Scientific Conference Globalization and its Socio-Economic Consequences 2019 – Sustainability in the Global-Knowledge Economy, Vol. 74, p. 01027). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20207401027
29. Qalati, S. A., Barbosa, B., & Deshwal, P. (2024). Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Marketing Development in Online and Offline Settings. Sustainability, 16(7), 2829. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072829
30. Rodríguez-Ibánez, M., Casánez-Ventura, A., Castejón-Mateos, F., & Cuenca-Jiménez, P. M. (2023). A review on sentiment analysis from social media platforms. Expert Systems with Applications, 223, 119862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2023.119862
31. Sari, N., Mahrinasari, M. S., & Erlina, E. (2023). Digital Content Marketing Influences People to Visit Tourist Destinations. International Journal of Advances in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(3), 212-221. https://doi.org/10.56225/ijassh.v2i3.244
32. Saura, J. R., Palos-Sánchez, P., & Cerdá Suárez, L. M. (2017). Understanding the digital marketing environment with KPIs and web analytics. Future internet, 9(4), 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi9040076
33. Scozzese, G., & Granata, G. (2019). The action of e-Branding and Content marketing to improve consumer relationships. European Scientific Journal, 15(1), 58-72. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2019.v15n1p58
34. Silva, S. C., Duarte, P. A. O., & Almeida, S. R. (2020). How companies evaluate the ROI of social media marketing programmes: insights from B2B and B2C. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(12), 2097-2110. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-06-2019-0291
35. Taqi, M., Gurkaynak, N., & Gencer, M. (2019). Marketing concept evolution: A bibliometrics co-occurrence analysis. Marketıng And Management of Innovatıons, 2, 185-197. http://doi.org/10.21272/mmi.2019.2-16
36. Vinerean, S. (2017). Content marketing strategy: Definition, objectives and tactics. Expert journal of marketing, 5(2), 92-98. http://hdl.handle.net/11159/1982
37. Wu, Q. M. (2024). The Influence of Online Reviews on the Purchasing Decisions of Travel Consumers. Sustainability, 16(8), 3213. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083213
38. Yaşarsoy, E., Çalişkan, G., & Pamukçu, H. (2022). The place and importance of digital reputation management in tourism establishments. Revista Turismo & Desenvolvimento, 39, 41-63. https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v39i0.30336
Published
2025-03-15
How to Cite
Abashidze, I. (2025). Content Marketing as a Tourism Promotion Strategy: A Conceptual Review. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 21(39), 200. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2025.v21n39p200
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Copyright (c) 2025 Irakli Abashidze
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