The Social Web: An Unofficial Personal Definition

To define the concept, let us first refer to Web 2.0 from a social perspective.   We all know that the way people browse the Internet is changing. What is happening is that human relationships, as they occur in real life, are moving online through the ways we Share, Talk, Listen, Collaborate, Criticise, etc. … this is what they call Web 2.0. I am referring to coffee chats or virtual hallway conversations, as a good friend of mine calls them. The beauty of the phenomenon is that it initially emerges spontaneously from the user side as a need to interact with others, share, contribute and receive information. This has led to the emergence of websites and technologies that facilitate this entire social phenomenon. These are the first Web 2.0 projects: blogs, wikis, social networks, etc. Travel 2.0 is the same concept applied to travel. In other words, when someone intends to travel, people research the destination, ask for opinions from those who have been there, look for somewhere to stay, compare prices on different sites, and ultimately make a purchase, and if they are happy with the final outcome, they share their experiences with other users, and if someone asks, they simply give their opinion. Whether or not to be prepared for Travel 2.0 or Web 2.0 is, I believe, about more than simply using certain technologies or specific creative approaches. We are simply talking about a social concept, and its links from a hotel or business perspective are more philosophical and strategic in nature. The step for a hotel company to enter the 2.0 world is a natural and evolutionary one, which some naturally take before others. But I do not think there is any prior reflection before taking that step. In other words, in my view, it is a situation driven by society, which demands that hotels join that cycle: the cycle of social relationships in which society itself is involved. By society, I mean not only a hotel's guests, but also its employees, competitors and closest collaborators, including intermediaries. By way of comparison, it would be as if a French gentleman in 1789 said to his wife, “darling, do not expect me home for dinner tonight because we are going to make the French Revolution…” when in reality the French Revolution was the overall result of a series of social, specific, philosophical, political and other events that together ultimately led to it. It is the same thing: nobody says, “let’s do something 2.0-style.” In any case, if someone wishes to develop a 2.0 project, the first thing they should do is decide which aspects of human relationships, or which stage in travel planning or purchasing, they want to cover or position themselves in and, above all, interact within. Naturally, for a hotel, interactivity with guests before, during and after the trip, the sharing of their experiences with potential guests, and the analysis of those experiences will enable us to develop more effective marketing. Such interactivity with guests naturally carries risks, insofar as guest comments or their experiences may turn against the hotel. To address this, strategies must be clearly defined before beginning to develop the project. Ultimately, the technology used becomes secondary, and what really matters is the organisation’s commitment to the project and the philosophy with which it is approached. I think that complicating it with complex terms and abstract definitions intimidates hoteliers and only creates a certain mystique around this phenomenon. That said, I would not downplay how appealing and interesting this phenomenon is, and I believe the most beautiful thing about it is that it has no apparent limits.