| Summary: | This paper identifies the perceptions and behaviours of owners/ managers of rural small and medium‑sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) regarding the use of social networks at the present time and in the future. Based on a qualitative perspective, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with owners / managers of SMTEs based in the Minho ‑ Lima region of northern Portugal. The costs reduction in acquiring new customers, improving credibility and corporate reputation are some of the main perceived advantages. Facebook stands out as being the most used social network, given the greater ease of achieving a broader market in an easy and fast way, essentially considering the high number of users. However, this paper also demonstrates that there is a strong lack of knowledge of how social networks, particularly Facebook, can be used in efficiently and effectively way. This paper seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the potential of social networks for tourism businesses operating in the rural context. Understanding these perceptions is important to identify initiatives and communication strategies appropriated to enterprises reality, contributing to encourage a greater and more effective use of social networks.
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