The sociological approach to the digital divide in Greek tourism and social choice theory: The case studies of Rhodes and Volos

Abstract

A destination image is shaped to a great extent through the synthesis of the information promoted by mass and digital media about the specific destination, regardless of the origin of these messages. The present study highlights the significance of business accounts in social media, particularly in the context of destinations' digital communication strategy, albeit in a quasi-localized manner. This is because the posts of every account, regardless of the number of followers, add to the destination's image puzzle. The final outcome, being digital and dynamic in nature, transcends local boundaries and adds to the destination's marketing strategy. Nonetheless, the choppy selection model, which dominates destinations with varying digital capabilities, may result in inconsistent digital communication messages, posing a challenge to prospective tourists. The presence of the digital divide in the tourism sector in Greece is examined in this paper, through the case studies of Rhodes and Volos. The aim is to identify inequalities in access and the use of digital content and technologies in the country, between different geographical areas and tourism destinations. The main methodological tools used for data collection and analysis are the transcribing and content analysis of 861 posts on Instagram from businesses in these two areas. This paper contributes to tourism management studies by highlighting the need to develop integrated digital strategies, focusing not only on the promotion of specific destinations by official government bodies, but also on taking into account the destinations' tourism stakeholders' messages and the general digital environment at a national level.

JEL classifications: M20, M21, M38

Keywords: Digital divide, digital inequalities, digital communication strategy, social choice, noisy choice