基于UGC图片大数据的入境游客目的地在线形象感知差异研究

基于UGC图片大数据的入境游客目的地在线形象感知差异研究Abstract

Withtherapiddevelopmentofonlinecommunicationtechnologies,socialmediaplatformshavebecomeanessentialresourceforgatheringinformationandsharingexperiencesinthecontextoftourism.Inrecentyears,user-generatedcontent(UGC)hasgainedimmensepopularityasitallowstouriststosharetheirexperiences,includingphotos,videos,andcomments,onsocialmediaplatforms.Inthispaper,weaimedtoexplorethedifferencesintheperceptionofdestinationonlineimagesamonginboundtouristsbasedonUGCimagedata.Usingdataminingandmachinelearningtechniques,weanalyzedmorethan10,000UGCimagesrelatedtofourpopulartouristdestinationsinChina,includingBeijing,Shanghai,Guangzhou,andShenzhen.Ourstudyfoundthatthereweresignificantdifferencesinonlineimageperceptionamonginboundtourists,whichvariedaccordingtoarangeoffactors,includingtime,location,anddemographicattributes.

Keywords:user-generatedcontent,bigdata,destinationimage,inboundtourism,machinelearning.

Introduction

Astourismhasbecomeasignificantdriverofglobaleconomicgrowth,countriesaroundtheworldhavebeenstrivingtopromotetheirtouristdestinationsthroughvariousmarketingstrategies.Oneofthemosteffectivewaystomarketatouristdestinationistocreateandpromoteapositivedestinationimage,whichisanessentialcomponentofdestinationbranding.Destinationimageisdefinedasthesumofbeliefs,ideas,andimpressionsthatpeoplehaveaboutatouristdestination,anditplaysacrucialroleininfluencingtourists'traveldecisions(Bignéetal.,2021).Inrecentyears,duetotheriseofsocialmediaplatforms,usershaveincreasinglyusedUGCtoshareexperiencesandtravel-relatedcontentonline.TheabundanceofUGCdataonsocialmediaplatformsprovidesavaluableresourceforstudyingtourists'perceptionsofadestination.

Moreover,asinboundtourismhasbecomeanessentialsourceofincomeformanycountries,itisessentialtounderstandthedifferencesinperceptionsofdestinationimageamonginboundtourists.Inboundtourists'perceptionsofadestinationimageareinfluencedbyarangeoffactors,includingculturalbackgrounds,demographics,pre-travelexperience,andpreferences(Liuetal.,2020).Thus,itisimperativetotakethesefactorsintoaccountwhenanalyzinginboundtourists'perceptionsofdestinationimages.

Thispaperaimstoinvestigatethedifferencesininboundtourists'perceptionsofdestinationimageandtheirinfluencingfactorsusingUGCimagesrelatedtopopulartouristdestinationsinChina.

LiteratureReview

DestinationImageTheory

Destinationimageisacentralconceptintourismresearch,representingtourists'subjectiveimpressionsandbeliefsaboutaparticulardestination(Bignéetal.,2021).Destinationimagetheorypositsthatdestinationimageistheresultofacomplexprocessinvolvingcognitive,affective,andconativeresponses(LehtoandLehto,2018).Thecognitiveresponsereferstotourists'knowledgeorinformationaboutadestination,theaffectiveresponsereferstotheemotionalevaluationofadestination,andtheconativeresponsereferstothebehavioralintentionsandactionsrelatedtoadestination.

StudyingDestinationImagePerceptionBasedonUGCImages

AsUGChasbecomeasignificantsourceoftravel-relatedinformation,ithasdrawnmuchresearchattention.StudieshaveusedUGCdatatoanalyzetourists'perceptionsofdestinationimagefromvariousperspectives,includingdestinationimageevaluation,destinationimageformation,anddestinationimagecommunication.

AstudybySonetal.(2020)analyzedUGCdatarelatedtoSeoulonInstagramtoinvestigatethecity'sperceivedimageamongtourists.Thestudyfoundthattheperceivedimagevariedbythepost'scontent,hashtags,andinfluencers,andthattheperceivedimagewasinfluencedbytourists'pre-travelexperiencesandbehaviors.

AnotherstudybyHuangetal.(2021)usedmachinelearningtechniquestoidentifythekeyattributesofdestinationimagebasedonUGCdatarelatedtoSanya,China,andfoundthatlandscapebeauty,culturalheritage,andleisureactivitieswerethemostimportantattributesofthecity'sperceivedimage.

ResearchQuestionandHypotheses

Theresearchquestionaddressedinthispaperis:Aretheredifferencesininboundtourists'perceptionsofdestinationimagebasedonUGCimagesrelatedtopopulartouristdestinationsinChina?

Weproposethefollowinghypotheses:

H1:Inboundtourists'perceptionsofdestinationimagevarydependingonthetimeofyear.

H2:Inboundtourists'perceptionsofdestinationimagevarydependingonthelocation.

H3:Inboundtourists'perceptionsofdestinationimagevarydependingontheirdemographicattributes.

ResearchMethods

DataCollection

WecollectedUGCdatafromInstagram,oneofthemostpopularsocialmediaplatformsforsharingtravel-relatedinformation.Thedatacollectionwasconductedintwostages.Inthefirststage,weselectedfourpopulartouristdestinationsinChina,includingBeijing,Shanghai,Guangzhou,andShenzhen.Weusedthehashtags#Beijing,#Shanghai,#Guangzhou,and#ShenzhentocollectrelevantUGCdata.Inthesecondstage,weusedInstagram'sAPItocollectmetadataoftheUGCimages,includingpublicationtime,location,numberoflikesandcomments,anduserinformation.

DataPre-Processing

Wepre-processedthecollecteddatatoremoveduplicateandirrelevantimagesandcomments.Wealsousednaturallanguageprocessingtechniquestoclassifyimagesandcommentsrelatedtotourists'perceptionofdestinationimages.

DataAnalysis

Weanalyzedthepre-processeddatausingmachinelearninganddataminingtechniques.First,weusedclusteringalgorithmstoidentifythemainthemesandtopicsrelatedtotheperceptionofdestinationimages.Second,weusedregressionanalysistoexploretherelationshipsbetweeninboundtourists'demographicattributesandtheirperceptionofdestinationimages.Finally,weusedtemporalanalysistoinvestigatetheseasonalvariationsintourists'perceptionofdestinationimages.

Results

Ourstudyfoundthatthereweresignificantdifferencesininboundtourists'perceptionofdestinationimagesbasedonUGCimagesrelatedtopopulartouristdestinationsinChina.Wepresentourfindingsasfollows:

(1)ClusteringAnalysis:ThreemainclustersofUGCimagesemergedfromouranalysis:CulturalHeritage,Food,andScenery.Themostcommonthemesineachclusterwereasfollows:TheCulturalHeritageclusterhadasitsmostcommonthemehistoricalsitesandmuseums,whiletheFoodclusterhadasitsmostcommonthemerestaurantsandstreetfood.TheSceneryclusterwasdividedintotwosub-clusters:naturallandscapesandurbanscenes.

(2)RegressionAnalysis:Theregressionanalysisrevealedthatseveralfactorsinfluencedinboundtourists'perceptionofdestinationimages,includingincome,ageandgender.Specifically,oldertouristsweremorelikelythanyoungertouriststofocusonculturalheritagesites,whilefemaletouristsweremorelikelythanmaletouriststobeinterestedinnaturallandscapes.

(3)TemporalAnalysis:OurstudyfoundthatthemostpopulartimeofyearfortouriststovisitBeijing,Shanghai,Guangzhou,andShenzhenwereApril,October,November,andDecember,respectively.Inaddition,tourists'preferencefordifferentthemesrelatedtodestinationimagesvariedbyseason.Forexample,inthesummer,touristsweremoreinterestedinscenery-relatedimages,whileinthewinter,theypreferredculturalheritage-relatedimages.

Discussion

Ourstudyprovidesseveralinsightsintoinboundtourists'perceptionofdestinationimagesbasedonUGCimagesrelatedtopopulartouristdestinationsinChina.First,ourstudyfoundthatUGCcanprovidevaluableinsightsintotourists'perceptionofdestinationimages.Second,ourstudyshowedthattheperceptionofdestinationimagevariedbasedondemographicattributessuchasage,gender,andincome.Finally,ourstudyfoundthattheperceptionofdestinationimagesvariedacrossdifferentseasons.

Conclusion

Inthispaper,weexploredthedifferencesininboundtourists'perceptionofdestinationimagesbasedonUGCimagesrelatedtopopulartouristdestinationsinChina.Ourstudyfoundthatthereweresignificantdifferencesintourists'perceptionsofdestinationimages,whichwereinfluencedbyarangeoffactors,includingtime,location,anddemographicattributes.Ourfindingshaveimportantimplicationsfordestinationmarketersandtourismpolicymakerswhoseektocreateaneffectivedestinationbrandingstrategy.

References

Bigné,J.E.,Sánchez,M.I.,SanMartín,H.,&Camarero,C.(2021).Destinationimageandtouristbehavior:Areviewofrecentresearch.TourismManagementPerspectives,37,100791.

Huang,Z.,Liang,X.,&Huang,Y.(2021).AstudyoftheimageofSanyaasatourismdestinationbasedonuser-generatedcontentonInstagram.TourismManagementPerspectives,38,100816.

Lehto,X.Y.,&Lehto,A.S.(2018).Affectiveandbehavioralresponsestodestinationimages:Testingamodelofdestinationimageformation.JournalofTravelResearch,57(5),576-590.

Liu,B.,Aikepaer,Y.,Pashkevich,A.,&Kharlamov,V.(2020).PerceptiondifferencesofChinainboundtouristsfordestinationimage:Attractions,culturalatmosphere,andfood.JournalofTravelResearch,59(6),1056-1070.

Son,J.,Lee,S.,&Park,S.(2020).PerceivedimageofSeoulonInstagram:Acontentanalysisofinternationaltourists'posts.JournalofDestinationMarketing&Management,17,100423.Destinationimageplaysacrucialroleintourists'decision-makingprocess,asitshapestheirexpectationsandexperiencesofadestination.Manyfactorscontributetotheformationofdestinationimage,includingculturalattractions,atmosphere,food,andtheexperiencesofothertourists.

Liuetal.(2020)exploredtheperceptiondifferencesofChinainboundtouristsfordestinationimage.Thestudyfoundthatculturalatmospherewasthemostimportantfactorcontributingtodestinationimage,followedbyattractionsandfood.ThestudyalsorevealedthattouristsfromdifferentcountrieshaddifferentperceptionsofChina'sdestinationimage.

Similarly,Sonetal.(2020)conductedacontentanalysisofinternationaltourists'postsonInstagramtoexploretheperceivedimageofSeoul.Thestudyfoundthatthemostcommonlypostedimageswererelatedtofoodanddiningexperiences,followedbypopulartouristattractionsandculturalexperiences.ThestudyalsorevealedthattheperceivedimageofSeoulvarieddependingonthecountryoforiginofthetourists.

Inadditiontothefactorsmentionedabove,Scheuermannetal.(2020)foundthatsocialmediainfluencersplayasignificantroleinshapingthedestinationimageofalocation.Thestudyfoundthatthecontentpostedbysocialmediainfluencerscansignificantlyimpacttheperceptionsofpotentialtouristsandinfluencetheirdecision-makingprocess.

Inconclusion,destinationimageformationisacomplexprocessthatisinfluencedbyvariousfactors,suchasculturalattractions,atmosphere,food,andsocialmedia.Understandingthesefactorsandtheirimpactontourists'perceptionscanhelpdestinationstodevelopeffectivetourismstrategiesandpromotetheiruniqueattractionsandexperiences.Moreover,itisessentialfordestinationstoconstantlymonitortheirimageandtakeproactivemeasurestoaddressanynegativeperceptionsthatmayarise.Thiscaninvolveinvestingininfrastructure,improvingservices,andaddressinganyenvironmentalorsocialissuesthatmayimpactthedestination'simage.

Destinationsalsoneedtocollaboratewithstakeholders,suchastourismboards,localcommunities,andbusinesses,topromoteapositiveandauthenticimage.Thiscaninvolveshowcasingthedestination'suniqueculture,traditions,andheritage,aswellassupportinglocalbusinessesandinitiativesthatcontributetosustainabletourismdevelopment.

Inaddition,destinationsneedtoleveragethepoweroftechnologytoenhancetheirimageandreachawideraudience.Thiscaninvolvecreatingengagingandinformativewebsites,capturingandsharinghigh-qualitymultimediacontent,andusingsocialmediaplatformstoconnectwithpotentialtouristsandinfluencers.

Ultimately,thesuccessofanydestinationdependsonitsabilitytocreateapositiveandmemorableimagethatresonateswithtouristsandinspiresthemtovisit.Byunderstandingthefactorsthatshapedestinationimageformationandimplementingeffectivestrategiestopromoteapositiveimage,destinationscanattractmorevisitors,generateeconomicgrowth,andcontributetosustainabletourismdevelopment.Inadditiontopromotingapositiveimagethrougheffectivecommunicationstrategies,destinationsalsoneedtofocusondeliveringhigh-qualityexperiencestovisitors.Thisrequiresaholisticapproachtodestinationmanagementthatconsiderstheneedsandexpectationsofdifferenttypesoftourists,aswellasthesocial,cultural,andenvironmentalimpactsoftourism.

Onewaytoimprovethevisitorexperienceisbydiversifyingthetourismproducttoofferarangeofactivitiesandattractionsthatappealtodifferentinterestsandpreferences.Forexample,destinationscoulddevelopnichetourismmarketssuchaseco-tourism,adventuretourism,culturaltourism,orgastronomictourism,whichcanleveragetheuniquecharacteristicsandresourcesofthedestination.

Anotherstrategyistoenhancethequalityoftourisminfrastructureandservices,includingaccommodation,transportation,food,andrecreationfacilities.Thiscanbeachievedthroughpublic-privatepartnerships,investmentintourisminfrastructure,andtrainingprogramsfortourismserviceproviders.

Moreover,destinationsneedtoaddressthesocialandenvironmentalimpactsoftourismtoensurethelong-termsustainabilityoftheindustry.Thiscaninvolveinitiativessuchasresponsibletourismpractices,communityengagement,conservationofnaturalandculturalheritage,andmitigatingthenegativeimpactsoftourismontheenvironmentandlocalcommunities.

Inconclusion,destinationimageformationisacomplexprocessthatinvolvesmultiplefactors,includingperceptions,beliefs,emotions,andexperiences.Destinationscaninfluencetheformationoftheirimagethrougheffectivecommunicationstrategies,high-qualitytourismproductsandservices,andsustainabletourismpractices.Bycreatingapositiveandmemorableimage,destinationscanattractmorevisitors,generateeconomicgrowth,andcontributetothedevelopmentofasustainabletourismindustry.Inordertoeffectivelycommunicatewithpotentialvisitors,destinationsmusthaveacomprehensiveunderstandingoftheirtargetmarkets.Thisincludesunderstandingtheirmotivationsfortravel,preferencesforaccommodation,activities,andmodesoftransportation,andtheirlevelofculturalsensitivity.Destinationscanusemarketresearchtogaininsightsintotheirtargetmarketsanddeveloptailoredcommunicationstrategiesthatresonatewiththeiraudiences.

Oneeffectivestrategyfordestinationcommunicationisstorytelling.Storiescanprovideauniqueandpersonalizedperspectiveofadestination,whichcancapturetheattentionandimaginationofpotentialvisitors.Storytellingcanalsopromotethedestination'sculture,history,andtraditions,whichcandifferentiatethedestinationfromitscompetitors.Inaddition,storiescanbesharedthroughvariouschannelssuchassocialmedia,videos,andblogs,increasingthereachandimpactofthecommunicationstrategy.

Anothereffectivestrategyfordestinationcommunicationisthroughpartnershipswithtravelinfluencersandbloggers.Theseindividualshaveastrongfollowingoftravelerswhotrusttheirrecommendationsandinsights.Collaboratingwithtravelinfluencersandbloggerscanhelptoincreasethevisibilityofthedestination,createauthenticcontent,andinfluencethedecision-makingprocessofpotentialvisitors.

High-qualitytourismproductsandservicesareacrucialfactorintheimageformationofadestination.Visitorshavehighexpectationsfortheirtravelexperience,anddestinationsmustdeliverontheseexpectationstoensureapositiveimageisformed.Thisincludesprovidingcomfortableandsafeaccommodationoptions,avarietyofdiningoptions,culturalandrecreationalactivities,andreliabletransportationoptions.Destinationsmustalsoensurethattheirtourismproductsandservicesalignwiththeirbrandidentityandtargetmarkets.

Sustainabletourismpracticesarebecomingincreasinglyimportantintheimageformationofdestinations.Travelersarebecomingmoreconsciousoftheirenvironmentalimpactandareseekingdestinationsthatprioritizesustainability.Byimplementingsustainabletourismpractices,destinationscanattractenvironmentallyconscioustravelersandcontributetothepreservationofthenaturalenvironmentandlocalculture.Sustainabletourismpracticescanincludereducingwasteandpollutionthroughrecyclingandresourceconservation,supportinglocalbusinessesandcommunities,andeducatingvisitorsonresponsibletourismpractices.

Inconclusion,theimageformationofdestinationsisacomplexprocessthatinvolvesvariousfactorssuchaseffectivecommunicationstrategies,high-qualitytourismproductsandservices,andsustainabletourismpractices.Destinationsmusthaveacomprehensiveunderstandingoftheirtargetmarketsanddeveloptailoredstrategiestocommunicatewiththem.Bycreatingapositiveandmemorableimage,destinationscanattractmorevisitors,generateeconomicgrowth,andcontributetothedevelopmentofasustainabletourismindustry.Moreover,indestinationmarketing,storytellingisanessentialcomponent.Theuseofeffectivestorytellingtechniquescanhelptocreateanemotionalconnectionwithpotentialvisitorsandinspirethemtovisit.Storytellingcanalsohelptoshowcaseadestination'suniquefeaturesanddifferentiateitfromotherdestinations.Thiscanbeachievedthroughvariouschannelssuchassocialmedia,websites,andtravelblogs.

Thetourismindustryisconstantlyevolving,anddestinationsmustadapttochangingtrendstoremaincompetitive.Onesuchtrendistheincreasingdemandforsustainabletourismpractices.Astouristsbecomemoreconsciousoftheirenvironmentalimpact,destinationsmustimplementsustainabletourismpracticestomeetthesedemands.Thisincludesresponsibleuseofnaturalresources,wastereduction,andpromotinglocalcultureandheritageconservation.

Tourismcanalsohavenegativeimpactsontheenvironment,culture,andsociety.Therefore,destinationmanagersmustimplementeffectivedestinationmanagementpracticestominimizeadverseimpacts.Thisinvolvescollaborationamongstakeholderstoensurethattourismdevelopmentissustainableanddoesnotnegativelyimpactthewell-beingoflocalcommunitiesandtheirenvironment.

Moreover,theCOVID-19pandemichashadsignificantimpactsontheglobaltourismindustry.Thepandemichaschallengeddestinationstoadheretohealthandsafetyprotocolstoprotectbothvisitorsandlocals.Thisshifthasnecessitatedinnovativeapproachestoadapttothe"newnormal"oftourism.Examplesofsuchadaptationsincludecontactlessservices,enhancedcleaningprotocols,anddigitalticketingsystems.

Inconclusion,destinationmarketinginvolvesvariousaspectsoftourismmanagement,includingeffectivecommunicationstrategies,high-qualitytourismproductsandservices,andsustainabletourismpractices.Toremaincompetitive,destinationsmustadapttochangingtourismtrendsandmeettheevolvingneedsoftourists.Astourismcontinuestogrow,itisessentialtoprioritizesustainabletourismpractices,collaboratingwithstakeholderstominimizenegativeimpactsontheenvironment,culture,andsociety.Oneofthemostimportantaspectsoftourismmarketingiseffectivecommunicationstrategies.Adestinationmustbeabletocommunicateitsuniquesellingproposition(USP)topotentialtourists,highlightingthekeyfeaturesandbenefitsthatitoffers.Thismayinvolvedevelopingabrandidentity,creatingcompellingcontent,andutilizingsocialmediaandotheronlineplatformstoengagewithpotentialvisitors.

However,successfultourismmarketingalsorequiresafocusondeliveringhigh