‘STAY’ CONNECTED AS LONDON HOSTS THE WORLD’S FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA OLYMPIC GAMES
How has social media changed the travel industry?
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that the UK is currently hosting one of the most publicised Olympic Games of all time. There is so much opportunity to catch the live action, interact with the athletes and have your say that the British media are dubbing London 2012 the first ‘social media Games’.
Since the Beijing Games of 4 years ago, sites like Twitter and Facebook have grown exponentially. Today 140 million tweets are sent out daily compared to just 60,000 tweets 4 years ago. Facebook now has over 900 million users, or 9 x the 100 million users it had 4 years ago. The emergence of other popular social media sites such as Pinterest and the growth of Youtube, means athletes and fans can share their experiences visually and instantly with an estimated 10,000 athletes from 200 competing countries getting involved.
The extent of social media at the Games is perhaps best encapsulated by the London Eye’s ‘Energy of the Nation’ project, aptly named ‘Tweety 12’. The wheel reflects public opinion on the Games by using a nightly light show activated by positive and negative comments on Twitter - so far 1,055,446 Tweets from 204 countries.
The smooth running and success of the Games owes much to this onset of social media, where commuters have been given live access to transport news, ticket sales have been boosted (where empty seats would otherwise have been left vacant), and security updates have been received instantly.
Visitors to the Olympics have benefitted hugely from social media as its influence continues to spread within the travel sector. Review sites such as Trip Advisor have provided invaluable tools for travellers seeking accommodation whereas flight companies have been updating passengers on flight times and flight delays. Hotels and home rental websites like Vive Unique have also been using social media to keep their guests informed and as a way to communicate last minute offers and availability. Local blogs give travellers more up-to-date info than the traditional guide book and provide a more ‘local’ experience. A number of companies like Vive Unique, now offer their own blog which you can follow and comment on, creating a forum for discussion amongst holidaymakers.
With 80% of travellers using their smart phones abroad, the use of social media on the road is set to continue. London 2012 has been a great success and the contribution of social media has been a positive one. We look forward to Rio 2016 and seeing how social media and technology will develop and shape what promises to be another very exciting and ‘connected’ Olympic Games. We wait and see!
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Vive Unique is a specialist booking website for unique and stylish home rentals.
With a handpicked collection of apartments and townhouses in London, Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Lisbon, guests enjoy a more authentic and boutique experience. Guests stay in real homes and live like a local while the owner is away. With personal recommendations for the local area, each home offers a stylish living experience and excellent value.
Homeowners who wish to market their homes and connect with affluent travellers around the globe, can list for free and earn money while they’re away.
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