Page 61 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

THE JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES: THEORY AND PRACTICE, V.82, # 2, 2025, pp. 61-78

DIGITAL MARKETING TOOLS IN THE EU TOURISM

SECTOR

1
Konstantia Darvidou Evangelos Siskos 2
1 International Economic Relations, Department of Management Science and
Technology, University of Patras, Greece, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8113-7302,
[email protected]
2 International, European and Black Sea Economic Relations, Department of
International and European Economic Studies (Kozani), University of Western
Macedonia, Greece, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5221-4444, [email protected]

https://doi.org/10.30546/jestp.2025.82.02.2011

Received: May 30; accepted September 26, 2025; published online December 16, 2025

ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to evaluate trends in using digital marketing tools in tourism
sector of the EU and to assess, which ones are currently more beneficial considering
increasing travel services exports. Previous literature review includes studies which
often focus on one or several types of digital marketing tools, devices, countries or,
conditions, niche types of services or effects on specific segments of tourists.
Statistical analysis shows that company websites and social networks are the most
widely used instruments. Multimedia content sharing websites and geodata-based
targeted advertising grow in popularity. Travel exports of the EU member states grew
almost by 50% in 2016-2024. Larger increase in the exports is more likely in
countries, which extend their marketing efforts to novel tools, because further increase
in using traditional digital tools do not provide a significant positive effect after
reaching a saturation point. At the same time, accommodation services providers may
benefit the most from targeted paid advertising online. Travel agencies and other
tourism intermediaries are recommended to maintain a website with personalised
content for clients, blogs and to use social media to exchange views within the
enterprise.

Key words: marketing channels, digitalization, European Union, internet
advertising, company websites, tourism agencies.

JEL: M31, M37, Z33, Z32, F140

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