Introduction

Social media has become the most influential and important virtual space where the
platform is not only used for social networking but is also a great way of digitally
advertising your brand and your products.

Social media's power is commendable as you get to reach a large number of people
within seconds of posting an ad, helping you reduce your costs, and making your ads
reach out to your potential audience through these social media advertisements.

With the huge number of online users, which is almost 59% of the world’s population,
marketers must not miss out on their chance of marketing on these digital forums where
they can reach all the maximum number of potential buyers compared with print or
television media marketing.

The role of social media in your marketing is to use it as a communication tool

that makes you accessible to those interested in your product and makes you visible to
those that don't know you yet. Use it as a tool that creates a personality behind your
brand and initiates relationships that you otherwise may never have gained.

Social media provides a platform for individual users to connect with their friends.
Businesses users incorporate social media as a marketing tool to connect with
customers and partner companies. Current social media platforms allow users to post
photos, upload videos, make new connections (“friends”), post promotions, advertise,
share information, and communicate with customers and partners which based on the
Internet. In order to discuss the relationship between social media and business, this
analysis first exame how businesses use social media as one of marketing tools.
Secondly, it discusses the Application Program Interface (API) and its contributions to
marketing. Many companies use social media as a marketing tool. Businesses receive
many benefits from social media, including increased exposure, traffic, and sales. They
can also develop loyal fans, marketplace insight, leads, search rankings, better
business partnerships, and reduced marketing spending.1 Companies can get customer
data from social media companies who use API. With the development of social media
and networks, companies who have already used social media can come up with better
marketing strategies. Social media marketing usage rate is increasing year by year. The
chart Figure 1.1 shows social media usage rate in 2017 is around 90 percent.

Facebook alone now has over two billion users. YouTube follows with 1.5 billion users,
and Instagram has over 800 million. Figure 1 shows the relative size of these and other
popular platforms.

Note the size of Chinese Weibo and Russian Qzone sites. Both are widely popular
outside the US. If your business interests are global and focus on these countries, some
attention should clearly be given to these as well.

In 2018, Twitter lagged in size at around 330 million global users. This may seem
surprising, since it gets a lot of attention in the media, probably because of
many popular media feuds and tit-for-tat battles. Also interesting, Twitter use is
actually decreasing in the United States. Seth Fiegerman for CNN describes the decline
After the liberalization of its economy, India witnessed significant growth in its middle
class and disposable economy. This had a direct impact on the country’s hospitality
industry which contributes over 7 per cent to the GDP of India. Considered to be a
sunrise industry, the hospitality sector is expected to touch $460 billion by 2028.
Moreover, India has witnessed considerable growth in foreign visitors since the 2000s.
All these reasons have enabled the country to become the seventh-largest tourism
economy in the world. In this article, we will explore almost everything about the
hospitality and tourism industry in India.

Introduction to Hospitality Industry

Google defines ‘Hospitality’ as ‘the friendly and generous reception and entertainment
of guests, visitors, or strangers’. Juxtaposing what hospitality stands with the tradition
that Indians have been following since the ancient times, you will find hospitality in
almost every sphere of the country. It was always there in the very essence of India, but
the idea of hospitality as a commercial industry in this capitalist world was minimally
present even until the early 2000s.
At present, the hospitality industry in India is considered a ‘sunrise industry’ which
means it has a huge scope in the near future. It is considered as one of the most
profitable industries which also accounts for over 8.78 per cent of the total workforce,
creating almost 15 million jobs in the past five years. The sector attracts a major chunk
of foreign direct investment inflow along with the most important means of foreign
exchange for the country.

In India, the hospitality industry is categorized broadly into:

 Lodging
 Food and Beverages
 Transportations
 Theme parks and amusement parks
 Other related fields
Within these categorizations, there are further sub-categorizations. For instance, the
lodging industry is further classified based on location, level of service and themes.
Moreover, several organizations within the hospitality industry offer services such as
food along with accommodation and transportation.

 Lodging 
Lodging in India includes the hotel category along with motels and resorts as well.

Hotels in India are categorized into two categories —the star category hotels and
heritage category hotels. The star category hotel is further divided into 5 Star Deluxe, 5
Star with Alcohol Service, 5 Star without Alcohol Service, 4 Star with Alcohol Service, 4
Star without Alcohol Service, 3 Star, 2 Star, and 1 Star. The Heritage category hotels
are divided into —the Heritage Grand, Heritage Classic with Alcohol Service, Heritage
Classic without Alcohol Service and Heritage Basic.

Food and Beverages

The food and beverage category is further divided into two sub-categories —
organized and unorganized. It is difficult to track unorganized food and
beverages category which forms about 65-70 per cent of the total market and the
organized one comprises of the rest of the 30-35 per cent market.

Transportations
Transportation in the tourism industry is the first step in the tourism business, starting
from taking the tourists from the place of origin to the destination. There have been
instances where transport accessibility has proven to transform a place into a global
attraction of tourism. In contrast, there are examples of places with rich culture,
heritage, and natural resources, which have failed to develop due to bad transport
accessibility.
Introduction of 5 Selected hotels

HOTEL NEXUS

ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO STAY

PROVIDING QUALITY SERVICES

The hotel features family rooms. All units are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-
screen TV with satellite channels, a fridge, a coffee/tea maker a hairdryer and a
wardrobe. At the hotel each room includes a private bathroom with free toiletries.
Guests at Hotel Nexus can enjoy a complementary buffet breakfast. There is a tour
desk and car rentals are available, while the business center has newspapers and
photocopier. The Hotel offers airport shuttle service.

Fortune Park JPS Grand, Rajkot

Hotels in Rajkot

OVERVIEW

Known for its rich heritage and culture, Rajkot has transitioned into an important
industrial and commercial centre in the vibrant and dynamic state of Gujarat. Fortune
Park JPS Grand is conveniently located in the prime industrial and urban area of the city
with easy access to all major attractions in and around Rajkot. An elegant and
contemporary hotel; it offers a wide range of guest facilities with efficient service
providing an ideal environment for business as well as leisure for the new-age traveler.

SERVICES & FACILITIES

» Parking

» Restaurant/Bar

» Conference Room

» Gymnasium

» Swimming Pool

» Body Treatment

» Global Distribution System

Hotel Sayaji

ABOUT SAYAJI HOTELS

Sayaji Hotels is India’s premier luxury hospitality brand with an ever-growing presence
across the country. Known for our bespoke experiences and signature hospitality, we
are ushering in new standards of opulence in the 4-star and 5-star hotel industry. We
believe a luxurious stay should indulge and satiate all the senses and become an
unforgettable experience. Our curated stays are a testament to this fact.

At every Sayaji Hotels property, you will find contemporarily designed accommodations
equipped with all the modern comforts, fine-dining restaurants helmed by the finest
chefs, grand banquets to host high-profile events, world-class hospitality services by
highly trained and experienced staff, and a plethora of unique amenities for bespoke
experiences. Each aspect is designed to redefine a luxurious stay.
OUR BRANDS

Concept Hospitality Pvt Ltd, is India’s leading environmentally sensitive

hotel chain and amongst the fastest growing hotel brands in India, with 82
hotels & resorts and 4800+ rooms currently operational under management
or opening shortly, across 67 locations in India and internationally,
under The Fern, The Fern Residency, The Zinc Hotels, Beacon
Hotels and a selection of independently branded hotels. Internationally we
operate The Fern Residency in Kathmandu and Bharatpur in Nepal, and 4
boutique resorts with homestay guest houses in Seychelles under Le Relax
Hotels, on the islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

We believe in responsible hospitality and sustainable tourism, and offer the

perfect blend of luxury and coexistence with nature at all our hotels, winning
us over 200+ awards across spectrums, for outstanding achievements in
hotel management and environmental practices in our short ten years of
operation in the industry. At all our hotels, hygiene and safety standards in
all our guest rooms and in all public areas are maintained at the most
stringent levels, to ensure the comfort and safety of all our guests.
REGENCY LAGOON RESORT

Enjoy Sheer Luxury and Hospitality at its Best

Regency Lagoon Resort, an oasis in the city of Rajkot is a rejuvenating retreat

promising the most exhilarating experience of a lifetime!

A blissful sojourn in the lap of Mother Nature, the resort is spread over twenty-two acres
of lush, picturesque milieu, resplendent with rich tropical garden, cascading waterfalls
and a sparkling lagoon, the beauty of which instantly invigorates, entices and enthrals.
Strategically nestled close to the airport and the Metoda industrial belt, Regency Lagoon
Resort provides a perfect concoction of traditional British architecture, finest
indulgences of modern life and momentous hospitality, which is truly Victorian. Exuding
an intriguing mix of majesty and modern grandeur, the resort features unfathomed
beauty, sheer splendour and opulence that will mesmerize your senses.
 Literature Review
1. Kim and Chae (2018) Considering that effective social media use is associated
with superior financial performance as evidenced by in a study analyzing the
Twitter accounts of hotels, focus on social media is not limited to a single line of
research. Another research vein focusing on marketing communications tries to
offer insights into the ways to establish or improve the two-way communication
offered by social media. Albeit the ability to interact with others, motivating users
to contribute to brand communication is not straightforward. The overcrowding of
popular social media platforms and the emergence of new ones have led to a
rapid increase in the amount of content available to members.

2. Zhu and Chen (2015) divide social media into two groups (profilebased and
content-based), depending on the nature of the connection and interaction. In
particular, profile-based social media focus on individual members. The
information/topics are related to the members and the main purpose is to
encourage social media users to connect with the specific information/topics.
Profile-based social media encourage connection, because they are interested in
the user behind the profile (e.g. on Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp). On the
other hand, content-based social media focus on the contents, discussions, and
comments on the posted content. The main purpose is for the users to connect
with the content a certain profile provides (e.g. on Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest,
and YouTube) because they like it

3. Hudson et al. (2015) verified that emotional attachment mediates the relationship
between social media use and brand relationship quality. The authors reported
that the strength of the emotional bond that consumers develop by interacting
with social media related to a travel brand influences the strength of their
relationship with the travel brand. While the relationship between the
performance of tourism-related firms and social media use is positively
associated with the co-creation of value, the relationship is mediated by social.
4. Deloitte (2015) expressed that travel and hospitality decision making process
worldwide was going under blanket of social media storm and thus offering both
threats and opportunities. Confident, empowered and techno savvy travelers is
the new breed that holds ‘key to communication with brands and other
consumers’. Further it adds that brands who consistently maintain their brand
promise would benefit and success as spotlight will be flashed to them over
social media.

5. According to Jatashankar R. Tiwar(2014)i. Hotel is a place that has undergone

an outstanding change in the past two decades with the arrival of computers. The
internet is growing so fast that people now find it easier to plan their holidays
online than in person. Computers are used in hotels for various reasons. In hotel
front office, computers are equipped with Hi-tech software called PMS. A hotel
PMS may interface with websites used in guest bookings and online reservations

6. Frandsen et al (2013) investigated the viability of employing social media for

appointing a community sample of smokers for participating in clinical trials. They
used both traditional media (flyers, newspapers) and social media (Facebook) to
recruit treatment seeking smokers. The participant-samples were compared for
their demographics, smoking characteristics, and associated costs; they
concluded that both forms of media fared equally well, with a special mention on
social media being more advantageous than the traditional forms of recruitment.
Gupta et al (2013) in reviewing the literature on SMM in healthcare mention that
fewer studies explored the role of this media form in healthcare.
7. Nielsen (2012), A way companies can employ to manage online customer
relationships is “Social Media Customer Care” (SMCC). This means to provide
customer care and customer interactions by means of social media. According to
a survey conducted by, nearly half of U.S. interviewed consumers prefers social
networks to interact with brands and service providers (learn more about
products, compliment brands, complaining about a product/brand). Facebook is
the preferred channel to have access to social care and to ask for information,
responses, and complaining.

8. Mady (2011) discussed the importance of customer’s perception on overall

marketing activities regardless of their active participation in consumption. He
also explained the process of adoption towards innovation; according to him; it is
a tool that provides information about customer’s readiness towards acceptance
of new technology. Perceive fit is another factor that marketers can consider for
social media shopping. It is the degree of similarity between an existing product
with it’s extended new version, affiliated to a recognized brand, (Del Vecchio &
Smith as cited by Cha, 2009). Now a day’s social media is not a mere platform to
stay connected with friends, peers, and family but it has become a strong
medium of promotion for companies. In this platform consumers learn more
about their preferred companies; their products and services.

9. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010),The phrase social networking sites’ is often used
interchangeably with social media. However, social media is different because it
allows participants to unite by generating personal information profiles and
inviting friends and colleagues to have access to those profiles . Thus, social
media is the environment in which social networking takes place and has altered
the way in which consumers gather information and make buying decisions.
10. Ruggless, R. (2010) finds it a two way online interaction as it makes customer
warmer and more intimate. A research conducted by Quirk’s Marketing Research
media (2011) finds that today small and medium business investors (other than
hospitality sector) have also understood the pivotal role of social media in
business and were confident about ROI on marketing through various social
platforms. Further it suggests that 64 percent of business get influenced by social
media.

11. (Hailey, 2010). The hospitality industry has yet to identify the 8 effectiveness of
marketing through the use of social media. There is an abundance of advantages
such as low cost investment, direct customer communication, brand
communication and also it acts like a verbal evidence theory that people tend to
believe when compared to commercial advertising Direct communication is one
of the concepts that this manuscript will elaborate on. Direct communication
allows for a two-way communication with the customers and social media. This
communication medium promotes honesty and transparency.

12. Wright et al., (2010), Social media is a place for businesses not only to market
their products and services, but also to interact with their customers and build
and sustain customer relationships . Social media enables businesses to be in
touch with their customers 24 hours a day and communicate directly with them .
Since social media support a two-way direct communication between consumers
and businesses, it facilitates effective customer engagement for hospitality
business. The ability of social media that grant consumers control over their
information sharing increases the willingness of consumers to continue
relationship with businesses
13. Stankov, Lazic, and Dragi (2010) found ´ that only 19 national tourism offices in
the European Travel Commission have embraced social media. These results
represent the limited and slow progress made by the industry in responding to
the business opportunities brought on by social media. The online world is rapidly
evolving and some companies may embrace new technologies due to the
pressure to “be digital” but are not thinking about what it means to the business
in a virtual environment.

14. Larry Weber (2009), book suggests that using social media is to adopt a new
way of communicating. It is about organising, encouraging and participating in
social networks. He recommends that companies become aggregators of
communities in which customers – whether actual or potential – are active and
then work towards becoming a valued member of these communities9 . The aim
is to have the members of these communities look to the brand as a trusted
partner. Social media marketing involves using these online communities to
market products and services to the members of the communities and through
them to others in their networks by converting the members into brand
ambassadors and advocates

15. Boyd & Ellison, (2007)On the other hand social networking sites are a place
where in one forms communities of interest to connect to others. Social
networking sites utilize social media technology to connect with people and build
relationships. Social networking sites allow individuals to construct their profile
within a bounded system, share with other users and view and traverse their list
of connections and those made by others within the system.
16. Casaló et al., (2007),active members are highly motivated to participate in online
communities and thus they are likely to share information and knowledge,
contribute to fast dissemination of valuable content to other members, and
provide emotional support to other members . For instance, the popularity of
YouTube is due to active members„ considerable contributions to the community
(Casaló et al., 2007). As community members actively post product information
and share experiences, the community acquires substantial information that can
attract new consumers and maintain strong relationships with existing members.

17. Blackshaw (2006) describes social media as the internet-based applications that
carry consumer generated content that is relevant to the past experiences or any
source or online information issues. The consumers create this themselves,
based on their experience with products and services, and share it among
themselves aiming at educating about the products and services (Xiang &
Gretzel, 2009). These can be seen as extension of word of mouth (WOM), a very
powerful tool that influences consumer behaviors.

18. Raza (2005, p 2) defines marketing as an ‘ongoing process comprising various

co-ordinated activities a company must perform to develop and/or wanted
product, bring it to the market, maintain it there and maximize the customers
benefit.’ The customer is an integral part of the marketing process; marketers
need to focus on their customer’s needs, wants and expectations which will
reflect in their services and result in a successful hotel. ‘For many years
hospitality firms have believed that the goal of marketing is to create as many
new customers as possible.’ (Shoemaker & Lewis, 1999, p345) They believed it
was important to satisfy the guests while they were on the property, but the real
goal was to continue to find new customers; their interest in getting new
customers dominated the task of keeping customers
19. Stafford et al. (2004) propose that the gratifications expected or received from
using the Internet and/orWeb sites in the uses and gratifications (U&G) approach
are based on individual motivations, but in the TAM and other Web site Quality
models, the external variables are based on normative motivations or linked to
extrinsic motivations for performance and advancement. Demonstrating just how
generalizable the U&G approach is, Stafford says.

20. Levin, Levin, & Heath (2003) are of opinion that the consumer inclination towards
online and offline goods and services varies from various goods and services at
various levels of buying practices because, involvement factor for the various
products is different, it is dependent on the kind of goods. It is important to
identify the difference in the shopping pattern of the user, whether he is buying
online or offline. It was concluded that all kinds of goods cannot be purchased on
the websites and for such a purchasing decision goods have to be classified and
sold online accordingly