ANALYSIS OF INTERNET MARKETING TOOLS OF NATIONAL HOTEL NETWORKS OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of internet marketing tools used by national hotel chains in Ukraine. The role of internet marketing in the successful functioning of the hotel industry is considered, and the most effective tools for achieving marketing goals are identified. For the analysis of Internet marketing tools used by hotel chains, we selected national hotel chains: Ribas Hotels Group, Premier Hotels and Resorts, Reikartz Hospitality Group, and Business Regency Group (all of which are national hotel chains that operate beyond one region of Ukraine). The authors of the study conducted an analysis of hotel network websites and social media, which allowed them to draw conclusions about the use of various internet marketing tools. In particular, the article provides a detailed examination of tools such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Telegram. We identified the positions of the hotel chains based on their Instagram presence. Ribas Hotels Group has a very strong social media presence, with four identified accounts (excluding individual hotel accounts which were not taken into account), consistently updated with posts, stories, Reels, and has many followers. According to our analysis, Ribas Hotels Group scored an 8. Reikartz Hospitality Group had the highest number of accounts on Instagram (excluding individual hotel accounts). However, due to the fact that some of these accounts were relatively new and had few posts and followers, their score was significantly lower. In our opinion, Premier Hotels and Resorts have issues and lack motivation to actively manage their social media presence on Instagram. The situation is even worse for Business Regency Group, where there are no accounts at all, with the only trace on Instagram being the owner's personal page, where they do not post anything related to the business. Premier Hotels and Resorts are more active on Facebook, which we can conclude based on the number of subscribers and likes. Perhaps this is due to the fact that this network has been around longer than the others, with its page created on December 1, 2009. Following in terms of page creation dates are Reikartz Hospitality Group, created on September 27, 2017, and Ribas Hotels Group on October 12, 2017, but the results of their work differ significantly. Maybe the time of creating hotel networks played a role here (Reikartz was established in 2009, while Ribas opened its first hotel in 2012). Or perhaps the issue is related to the target audience. The research showed that different generations are represented on Instagram and Facebook networks. That is, Instagram is a place for people under 40 to spend time online. Ribas Hotels Group positions itself more as a network for developed young people. The promotion of the Business Regency Group hotel network can be described briefly as not at a professional level, even taking into account the date of page creation, March 29, 2019. The authors also provide recommendations for improving internet marketing for hotel chains, including the use of personalized content, active engagement with customers on social media, and prioritizing mobile marketing.