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The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether publicly shared images on Instagram are representative of tourist behaviour in a destination. This aspect is crucial for destination image management, as it can influence the way tourists perceive the destination.

The research compares three different factors: the route followed by a group of tourists, the whole set of photographs taken by them and the images that they made publicly available on Instagram. It relies on a field work done by a group of 122 tourists in Turin (Italy). At a qualitative level, the answers given by tourists to the motivations that led them to share some of the image are analysed.

The results showed how the spatial distribution of the images shared publicly on Instagram only partially coincides with the whole set of images taken by tourists.

It is important to avoid basing marketing and management policies on just the places featured in publicly shared images. If not, there is a risk of taking decisions based on the behaviour of some, rather than all, tourists.

Many papers claim to be based on the Instagram image as elements to study tourism. However, most of these papers only analyse public images. This fact can affect the results as there may be, for example, areas visited by tourists where photos are not taken. This paper therefore contributes to a better understanding of Instagram as a tool for the study of urban tourism.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the brand communication on social media (SM) made by two- and three-starred restaurants and the customer reaction in terms of engagement effects during a crisis. The research highlights the connections between brand communication and engagement dynamics on Instagram by looking for differences in the strategies of two and three-starred restaurants and by highlighting the changes in the background engagement drivers.

Using data collected from 5,666 Instagram posts by 34 Italian Michelin-starred restaurants, the authors analysed the crisis-driven changes in online communication and customer engagement comparing three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic by applying a linear regression model with fixed effects.

Michelin-starred restaurants changed their strategies of brand communication to overcome the effects of the crisis. The findings highlight the importance of SM as a tool to stay in touch with consumers and the pivotal role of customers in engagement, especially during a pandemic.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first studies to investigate the changes in brand communication and the effects on customer engagement during a pandemic, with a focus on Instagram. It contributes to understanding the role of platform and the main drivers of engagement on Instagram, as well as suggesting how managers can improve brand value using SM.