The power of photographs in the communication and public relations of tourist destinations and their brands through Facebook and Flickr

Social media, which are important tools of public relations, have revolutionized the communication of tourist destinations. Photographs are one of the elements that communications managers of destinations can use to communicate their brands. But how are these photographs used via social media? The results of this study show a more frequent use of photos on Facebook, whereas the use of photo-sharing sites such as Flickr is still not very widespread. Photos best communicate emotional values, but destinations most often use them to present their attraction factors. In addition, in many destinations there is a lack of communication strategy in the use of pictures, which complement information without regard for any actual communication criteria. The useful recommendations for destinations that can be drawn from the results are: a more strategic use of photographs in communication via social media and the utilization of their potential in communicating the brand’s emotional values.