The case of BeReal and spontaneous online social networks and their impact on tourism: research agenda

Abstract

The importance of online social networks (OSN) in tourism has been well documented in the literature. Most OSN share common characteristics. One of them is allowing users and companies to extensively plan and edit their posts. Recently, a new type of OSN has emerged: spontaneous online social networks (SOSN). These SOSN can be stand-alone products (e.g. BeReal) or features added to existing OSN. This research note provides an initial approach to SOSN and how they may change the dynamics of travellers and tourism companies. It provides a research agenda concerning the growth of SOSN