Recommendation culture’s influence on the promotional communication of Spanish autonomous community brands

The irruption of social media in the tourism sector has transformed the way people plan their trips. Nowadays users can experience their stay before going to the destination by watching other tourists’ videos, reading others’ referrals before booking a hotel, and making enquiries about the must-sees of a region. These user-generated content websites have promoted the appearance of a new recommendation culture. This new communicative sphere has had a significant impact on the tourism sector, with destination marketing organizations obliged to find meaningful and engaging new ways to attract more tourists to their territories. This article analyses and classifies the influence of this new recommendation culture on mainly online promotional communication strategies, tactics and messages of destination marketing organizations in each of the Spanish autonomous communities.