Understanding Macao’s Destination Image through User-generated Content

ABSTRACT

The development of online social media enables researchers and practitioners investigating all aspects of tourism to access increasingly available online user-generated data. However, this task is easier said than done, since finding the best approach to make sense of the complex Big Data remains a key challenge. This study evaluates Macao’s destination image perceived by mainland Chinese tourists. The study conducts a content analysis utilizing Leximancer software and the results suggest that mainland Chinese tourists perceive Macao’s destination image as the foci of atmosphere, leisure and recreation, social environment, culture, history and art, followed by infrastructure.

摘要

在线社交媒体在旅游业中的广泛应用为旅游研究和从业人员提供了分析游客行为和需求的平台，然而，找到运用和理解复杂大数据的有效方法仍然是一项关键挑战。 本研究通过分析旅游社交网络上中国大陆游客对澳门的评论来评估澳门作为旅游目的地的形象，利用Nvivo 软件针对评论内容进行分类，并使用Leximancer软件进行内容分析并展现目的地形象。研究结果发现，中国大陆游客对澳门目的地形象的关注点集中在澳门的休闲和娱乐，社会环境，文化历史,其次是澳门的基础设施建设。

KEYWORDS:

• Macao
• online review
• UGC
• mainland Chinese tourist
• content analysis

关键词:

• 澳门
• 在线评论
• 用户在线评论内容
• 中国大陆游客
• 内容分析

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by a research grant from the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund, the grant number is 081/2014/A.

Notes on contributors

Shanshan Qi

Shanshan Qi is an invited assistant professor at the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao. Her research interests include computer technology applications in tourism and tourism/hospitality website evaluations, and destination branding and marketing (E-mail: [email protected]).

Ning (Chris) Chen

Ning (Chris) Chen is a lecturer in marketing in the Department of Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. His research interests are in place attachment, resident/tourist psychology and behavior, destination branding (E-mail: [email protected]).