Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis
The sharing of travel experiences through social media platforms reflects contemporary consumer culture, but it is still a phenomenon being researched in tourism literature. In this paper, we theorize that sharing travel experience through social media may operate as a distinct social communication...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Tourism and Hospitality |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/3/3/35 |
| _version_ | 1797481839425748992 |
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| author | Han Xu Jon C. Lovett Rob Law |
| author_facet | Han Xu Jon C. Lovett Rob Law |
| author_sort | Han Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The sharing of travel experiences through social media platforms reflects contemporary consumer culture, but it is still a phenomenon being researched in tourism literature. In this paper, we theorize that sharing travel experience through social media may operate as a distinct social communication process, and investigate how it contributes to the co-creation of destination value. A qualitative analysis of 97 travel blogs reveals three distinct themes that have the potential for co-creating destination value: motivation, memorable travel experiences, and advice. The results indicate that tourists and destination marketers interpret destination value differently in motivation. The sharing of memorable travel experiences and advice with readers and fellow tourists improves potential tourists’ cognition and emotional connection to the destination, thereby increasing the level of tourist destination engagement. The extension of the consumer socialization framework provides a deeper understanding of the destination value co-creation process, and provides useful insights for destination promotion and management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:21:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80f45e756c1141b6aaf8b4679b350645 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5768 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:21:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tourism and Hospitality |
| spelling | doaj.art-80f45e756c1141b6aaf8b4679b3506452023-11-23T19:14:43ZengMDPI AGTourism and Hospitality2673-57682022-06-013357358810.3390/tourhosp3030035Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog AnalysisHan Xu0Jon C. Lovett1Rob Law2School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKSchool of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UKAsia-Pacific Academy of Economics and Management, University of Macau, Macao 999078, ChinaThe sharing of travel experiences through social media platforms reflects contemporary consumer culture, but it is still a phenomenon being researched in tourism literature. In this paper, we theorize that sharing travel experience through social media may operate as a distinct social communication process, and investigate how it contributes to the co-creation of destination value. A qualitative analysis of 97 travel blogs reveals three distinct themes that have the potential for co-creating destination value: motivation, memorable travel experiences, and advice. The results indicate that tourists and destination marketers interpret destination value differently in motivation. The sharing of memorable travel experiences and advice with readers and fellow tourists improves potential tourists’ cognition and emotional connection to the destination, thereby increasing the level of tourist destination engagement. The extension of the consumer socialization framework provides a deeper understanding of the destination value co-creation process, and provides useful insights for destination promotion and management.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/3/3/35consumer socialization theorydestination managementtravel blogstourism experiencevalue co-creation |
| spellingShingle | Han Xu Jon C. Lovett Rob Law Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis Tourism and Hospitality consumer socialization theory destination management travel blogs tourism experience value co-creation |
| title | Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis |
| title_full | Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis |
| title_short | Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis |
| title_sort | understanding destination value co creation on social media an application of travel blog analysis |
| topic | consumer socialization theory destination management travel blogs tourism experience value co-creation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5768/3/3/35 |
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