Exploring qualitative applications of social media data for place-based assessments in destination planning

ABSTRACT

Understanding the physical attributes of a destination valued by visitors allows tourism managers to consider those components when planning, managing, and marketing destinations. However, determining the key components of visitors’ destination image can be difficult. This study utilizes social media data to explore visitors’ destination image of a nature-based tourism locale. Specifically, we examined user-generated content by visitors to the tourism region adjacent to Lake Superior in Minnesota USA during the summer 2015 tourism season. Content analysis was utilized to determine the major themes of visitors’ destination image. Our findings are similar to those of existing studies: natural resources, built resources, and human subjects are the most prevalent components of destination image. However, our method of ascertaining these components of destination image – specifically, thematically analyzing social media data – present a technique that may be more easily accessible to tourism providers, as it can be a lower cost and time investment. We discuss how these findings can inform the development of recreation opportunities and marketing materials. This qualitative analysis of social media data can be applied in other locales as a relatively efficient and real-time method to inform place-based management and marketing.

KEYWORDS:

• Sense of place
• place making
• place meanings
• place management
• place branding
• nature-based tourism

Acknowledgements

The authors would also like to thank Derek Van Berkel and Boris van Zanten for their assistance with data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was prepared by Allie MccCreary, Erin Seekamp, Mae Daveport, and Jordan Smith using federal funds under award NA14OAR4170080 from Minnesota Sea Grant, National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA, the Sea Grant College Program, or the U.S. Department of Commerce.