Social Media as a Management Tool: Opportunities for Sustainable Heritage Destinations

Social media-driven tourism trends can lead to unsustainable development, commodification, and cultural dissonance in heritage destinations. A quantitative content analysis of posts and reviews from Instagram, TripAdvisor, and Airbnb across five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 13 Regional Nature Parks, and two Biosphere Reserves in Switzerland revealed key visitor distribution patterns during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These insights offer management agencies a tool to strategize for more balanced tourist flows within heritage areas. The study's methodology, applicable to diverse contexts, highlights the potential of social media analysis in shaping sustainable governance and visitor management systems for large protected areas.

Šormaz, A., & Ruoss, E. (2023). Social Media as a Management Tool: Opportunities for Sustainable Heritage Destinations. Academica Turistica, 121–138. https://doi.org/10.26493/2335-4194.16.121-138