Marketing communication on the internet for small firms in tourism industry

Tourism is the most economically important industry in the world as well as in Thailand.The great challenges for small firms in this industry are to communicate their marketing information with consumers worldwide.For this purpose, many firms have adopted the internet as an essential marketing tool.This study examined the application of marketing communication on the internet by small firms in the tourism industry in Phuket, Thailand.The three most used applications of marketing communications on the internet are social network, company website and e-marketplace. Small firms have applied social network to promote their businesses.They also use search engine to disseminate their products and services, to increase customer satisfaction, and to strengthen consumer confidence on their products and services.The paper provides recommendations on improving effectiveness of marketing communication on the internet for small firms in tourism industry.