Sanchez Jimenez, Miguel AngelCorreia, Marisol B.Matos, Nelson2018-12-072018-12-072018-092237-0722http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/11496The future of social media and the ability to measure its impact has generated much debate as companies have adopted the use of social media platforms to communicate their products. The calculation of this impact can be a complex task but the entity that does not do so will jeopardize its ability to demonstrate the full benefits of its business. Consumers now have the opportunity to comment on their experiences and opinions in these social media and hope to participate in a conversation with the brand. This fact has gained even more impact in the tourism sector due to the great influence that other opinions and experiences have on the tourist's choice. Thus, the tourist offer must now build its strategies incorporating this dialogue and measuring the impact on its brands to make the right strategic and tactical decisions. Thus, in this study the activity and effectiveness of official social networks by the different tourist areas of the Algarve was analyzed, through the measurement of indicators obtained through the online analysis tool Fanpage Karma. In the results, Facebook stands out as the main social network of the Algarve tourist destinations in which all the municipalities actively participate in said network, generating a very good commitment or engagement, thus improving the image and reputation of said destinations. Also note the scarce presence and engagement of Twitter and the importance of images and videos in the social networks of the tourism sector.porMediaDeterminantsHospitalityReviewsLibraryValuesReturnTravelAnalysis of social networks as an instrument of communication in the tourist destinations of Algarvejournal article10.7198/geintec.v8i3.1252