Page 38 - Management 19 (2024), številka 1
P. 38
Fabrizio Gritta | The Use of Social Big Data in Small Hospitality Businesses
Among the benefits, we highlight some of the tools for the scheduling of posts, the moni-
key ways in which AI and Big Data can impact the toring of online conversations, and the ge-
management of small facilities: neration of automated reports can result in
the liberation of resources and the allocati-
• Service personalisation: by analysing data on of valuable time to other pivotal business
from online interactions, social media and activities.
mobile devices, businesses can create tai-
lored offers for individual users, improving It should be noted that this research is subject
customer satisfaction. to certain limitations. Firstly, the sample of bu-
• Online reputation management: advanced sinesses involved may not be representative of
algorithms can analyse reviews, social media all realities in Rome. The participating busines-
posts and customer feedback to identify are- ses may differ significantly from those that did
as of strength and improvement, allowing not, which could introduce potential bias. Secon-
businesses to respond proactively. dly, limited access to internal data may have in-
• Targeted marketing: Big Data analytics fluenced the completeness of the information
can identify the most profitable market se- collected and the analysis conducted, limiting
gments and personalise marketing campa- the depth and accuracy of the conclusions and
igns to speak directly to these groups. recommendations. Finally, the specific context of
• Demand forecasting: Big Data and AI can the research may affect the generalisability of the
predict future tourism trends by analysing results. It is possible that the dynamics of the ho-
historical and current data, allowing busi- tel market in Rome may differ from those obser-
nesses to adjust their strategies in advance.
ved in other cities or regions. Consequently, the
findings may not be readily transferable to other
Small hospitality businesses can adopt solu- geographical contexts.
tions to overcome limitations arising from their In summary, despite the limitations encoun-
small size. These include collaboration with spe- tered, this research provides important guideli-
cialised companies and staff training. nes for small hospitality businesses interested in
leveraging social big data to improve their opera-
• Collaboration with specialised companies: tions and meet customer needs more effectively.
small businesses can collaborate with exter-
nal suppliers or agencies specialising in soci- References
al media data analysis. These companies can Belias, D., S. Malik, I. Rossidis, and C. Mantas. 2021.
offer tailor-made solutions adapted to the ‘The Use of Big Data in Tourism: Current Trends
needs and budgets of smaller enterprises, and Directions for Future Research.’ Academic Jou-
allowing them to access skills and resources rnal of Interdisciplinary Studies 10 (5): 357–364.
not available internally. Bizirgianni, I., in P. Dionysopoulou. 2013. ‘The Influen-
• Staff training: investing in staff training can ce of Youth Tourism Trends through SocialMedia
help small hospitality businesses develop (SM) & Information and Communication Tech-
internal skills for collecting, analysing, and nologies.’ Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
73:652–660.
using social media data. Blanco-Moreno, S., A. M. González-Fernández, and P.
• The utilisation of simplified tools: small bu- A. Muñoz-Galleg. 2023. ‘Big data in Tourism Mar-
sinesses may opt for the use of user-friendly keting: Past Research and Future Opportunities.’
and accessible social media analysis tools, Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC. https://doi.org
which have been designed specifically for the /10.1108/SJME-06-2022-0134.
needs of small businesses. These simplified Buhalis, D., and P. O’Connor, P. 2005. ‘Information
tools can assist businesses in collecting and Communication Technology Revolutionizing Tou-
analysing data in a more efficient manner, rism.’ Tourism Recreation Research 30 (3): 7–16.
without the necessity for advanced technical Corsi, C., and S. Migliori. 2016. Italian SMEs: Gover-
skills. nance, Internationalisation and Financial Structure.
Milan: Franco Angeli.
• An automation-based approach: the imple- Cozzi, P. 2010. Turismo e Web: marketing e comunicazi-
mentation of automation can assist small one tra mondo reale e virtuale. Milan: Franco Angeli.
businesses in managing the collection and Das, I. R., M. B. Talukder, and A. Pego. 2024. ‘Impli-
analysis of social media data in a more effi- cation of Artificial Intelligence in Hospitality Mar-
cient manner. The utilisation of automation keting.’ In Utilizing Smart Technology and AI in Hy-
38 management 19 (2024) številka 1