With the advent of the Internet and its active use in tourism, social media (networks) play a key role in finding and evaluating information, making travel decisions and purchasing travel services by consumers. The question arises of the need to improve the competent use of information and communication technologies by the main players of the tourism business to effectively promote travel services in social networks and create a favorable situation in the development and establishment of interactive communication with consumers (tourists). A quantitative survey among travel agencies and an in-depth interview with a specialist of the ‘Center of Smart Tourism’ in Kazakhstan showed the need to train travel agencies in online communication tools. As a result of the evaluation of websites and social networks of travel agencies, a number of urgent problems were identified that reduce the attractiveness of the tourism business i.e. the lack of knowledge and skills to use online communication tools by tourist agencies, which hinders the development of online tourism. In order to attract tourists, it is necessary to be informational accessible and to provide high-quality (unique) content, to establish a positive image and consumers trust to the providers of travel services. The authors also provide definitions for the term “social media” of various Western scholars, which is currently used throughout the world.