PREFFERED E-PROMOTION STRATEGIES OF INTERNATIONAL HOTEL CHAINS - INSIGHTS AND EVALUATION

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to identify, the most successful element of the online promotional mix for hotel chains in the EU. Its purpose refers to understand promotional strategies by learning from the top hotel chains. Design/methodology/approach: This paper focuses on online promotion of hotel chains in the EU, its techniques and tools for communicating with the tourism market especially their investments in SEO and AdWords, two of the most prominent online promotional techniques. The research is based on observation and analytical evaluation of web sites of hotel chains. This was realised by using special digital tools with which promotional mix elements were evaluated. The research was conducted in July and August 2018 and the sample covered the ten largest European hotel chains, evaluated through 37 indicators arranged into 6 main groups. Findings: The research findings show that the most notable tools and techniques of online promotion for hotel chains in the EU are SEO, AdWords and Direct Marketing. Respectively, success of a particular online promotional tool is proportional to the investment made in it including monthly costs for a specific online promotional tool. Research/practical implications: The Internet is becoming one of the most important channels for marketing communication, making the constant development of online promotional strategy one of key elements of success. Future research should investigate how innovative promotional strategies impact SME in hospitality and the challenges of their application. Originality/value: The answer to the question "Which tools and techniques should be used and what promotional activities should be conducted?" supports the purpose and present main contribution of the paper.