Is destination marketing organization microblogging in China delivering? An empirical analysis of information supply against consumer information needs
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online January, 2016
Is destination marketing organization microblogging in China delivering? An empirical analysis of information supply against consumer information needs
This research analyzed the travel planning information needs of Chinese consumers and compared these with the online posts by the Chinese destination marketing organizations (DMOs) on a microblog platform. An online consumer survey and a Sina Weibo content analysis were included in the research methodology. Overall, the amount of actual tourism-related information posted by DMOs was low, accounting for no more than one-third of all DMO microblog posts. The DMOs showed a preference for posting information in the basic information and destination cities categories, accounting for 76.2% of all the posts in this analysis. Mismatches were detected between the supply and demand for tourism information on microblog Web sites. It was concluded that DMOs were not delivering on the trip planning information needs of Chinese consumers.
AkehurstG (2009) User generated content: the use of blogs for tourism organizations and tourism consumers. Service Business3(1): 51–61.
2.
BenckendorffP (2006) An exploratory analysis of traveler preferences for airline website content. Information Technology & Tourism8(3–4): 149–159.
3.
BonnMAFurrHLSusskindAM (1999) Predicting a behavioral profile for pleasure travelers on the basis of Internet use segmentation. Journal of Travel Research37(4): 333–340.
4.
BuhalisDLawR (2008) Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—the state of eTourism research. Tourism Management29(4): 609–623.
5.
CabidduFDe CarloMPiccoliG (2014) Social media affordances: enabling customer engagement. Annals of Tourism Research48: 175–192.
6.
CasalóLVFlaviánCGuinalíuM (2011) Understanding the intention to follow the advice obtained in an online travel community. Computers in Human Behavior27(2): 622–633.
7.
ChanNLGuilletBD (2011) Investigation of social media marketing: how does the hotel industry in Hong Kong perform in marketing on social media websites?Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing28(4): 345–368.
8.
Chen (2005) A study on destination information system from the point of tourist information requirement and system operation mode. Doctoral dissert., Sun Yat-Sen University, China.
9.
ChoiSLehtoXYO’LearyJT (2007) What does the consumer want from a DMO website? A study of US and Canadian tourists’ perspectives. International Journal of Tourism Research9(2): 59–72.
10.
China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) (2013) Chinese Netizen Social Networking Applications Research Report. Beijing: CNNIC.
11.
China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) (2014) Statistical Report on Internet Development in China(July 2014). Beijing: CNNIC.
12.
ChungNKooC (2015) The use of social media in travel information search. Telematics and Informatics32(2): 215–229.
13.
DavidsonRKeupM (2014) The use of web 2.0 as a marketing tool by European convention bureaux. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism14(3): 234–254.
14.
Di PietroLDi VirgilioF (2012) Social network for the choice of tourist destination: attitude and behavioral intention. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology3(1): 60–76.
15.
De MoyaMJainR (2013) When tourists are your “friends”: exploring the brand personality of Mexico and Brazil on Facebook. Public Relations Review39(1): 23–29.
FengRMorrisonAMIsmailJA (2004) East versus West: a comparison of online destination marketing in China and the USA. Journal of Vacation Marketing10(1): 43–56.
FyallA and Leask (2006) Destination marketing: future issues, strategic challenges. Tourism and Hospitality Research7(1): 50–63.
24.
GretzelUYooKH (2008) Use and impact of online travel reviews. In: O’ConnorPHopkenWGretzelU (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism. Vienna: Springer, pp. 35–46.
25.
HaysSPageSJBuhalisD (2013) Social media as a destination marketing tool: its use by national tourism organizations. Current Issues in Tourism16(3): 211–239.
26.
HoCILinMHChenHM (2012) Web users’ behavioral patterns of tourism information search: from online to offline. Tourism Management33(6): 1468–1482.
27.
HuangL (2012) Social media as a new play in a marketing channel strategy: evidence from Taiwan travel agencies’ blogs. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research17(6): 615–634.
28.
HuangYBasuCHsuMK (2010) Exploring motivations of travel knowledge sharing on social network sites: an empirical investigation of us college students. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management19(7): 717–734.
29.
HvassKAMunarAM (2012) The takeoff of social media in tourism. Journal of Vacation Marketing18(2): 93–103.
30.
IpCLawRLeeHA (2011) A review of website evaluation studies in the tourism and hospitality fields from 1996 to 2009. International Journal of Tourism Research13(3): 234–265.
31.
JangS (2004) The past, present, and future research of online information search. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing17(2–3): 41–47.
32.
JeongS (2008) Collective production of public goods in online travel communities. Information Technology & Tourism10(4): 355–373.
33.
KaplanAMHaenleinM (2010) Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons53(1): 59–68.
34.
KotlerPArmstrongG (2013) Principles of Marketing. 15thed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.
35.
KulviwatSGuoCEngchanilN (2004) Determinants of online information search: a critical review and assessment. Internet Research14(3): 245–253.
36.
LawRLeungRBuhalisD (2009) Information technology applications in hospitality and tourism: a review of publications from 2005 to 2007. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing26(5–6): 599–623.
37.
LeeYJGretzelU (2014) Cross-cultural differences in social identity formation through travel blogging. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing31(1): 37–54.
38.
LeungDLawRvan HoofH. (2013) Social media in tourism and hospitality: a literature review. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing30(1–2): 3–22.
39.
LiXWangY (2010) Evaluating the effectiveness of destination marketing organizations’ websites: evidence from China. International Journal of Tourism Research12(5): 536–549.
40.
LimYChungYWeaverPA (2012) The impact of social media on destination branding: consumer-generated videos versus destination marketer-generated videos. Journal of Vacation Marketing18(3): 197–206.
41.
LitvinSWGoldsmithREPanB (2008) Electronic word-of-mouth in hospitality and tourism management. Tourism Management29(3): 458–468.
42.
LyuSOHwangJ (2015) Are the days of tourist information centers gone? Effects of the ubiquitous information environment. Tourism Management48: 54–63.
43.
MackRWBloseJEPanB (2008) Believe it or not: credibility of blogs in tourism. Journal of Vacation Marketing14(2): 133–144.
44.
MooiESarstedtM (2011) A Concise Guide to Market Research. Heidelberg: Springer.
45.
MorrisonAM (2013a) Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations. London: Routledge.
46.
MorrisonAM (2013b) Global Marketing of China Tourism. Beijing: China Architectural & Building Press.
47.
MorrisonAMSuJO’LearyJT. (2001) Predicting usage of the Internet for travel bookings: an exploratory study. Information Technology & Tourism4(1): 15–30.
48.
MurphyLMoscardoGBenckendorffP (2007) Using brand personality to differentiate regional tourism destinations. Journal of Travel Research46(1): 5–14.
49.
NanbaHTagumaHOzakiT. (2009) Automatic compilation of travel information from automatically identified travel blogs. In: ACL Short ‘09 Proceedings of the ACL -IJCNLP 2009 Conference Short Papers, Suntec, Singapore, 4 August 2009, pp. 205–208.
50.
NysveenHMethlieLBPedersenPE (2002) Tourism web sites and value-added services: the gap between customer preferences and web sites offerings. Information Technology & Tourism5(3): 165–174.
51.
OliveiraEPanyikE (2015) Content, context and co-creation: digital challenges in destination branding with references to Portugal as a tourist destination. Journal of Vacation Marketing21(1): 53–74.
52.
PanBMacLaurinTCrottsJC (2007) Travel blogs and their implications for destination marketers. Journal of Travel Research46(1): 35–45.
53.
ParkYAGretzelU (2007) Success factors for destination marketing web sites: a qualitative meta-analysis. Journal of Travel Research46(1): 46–63.
54.
Parra-LópezEBulchand-GidumalJGutiérrez-TañoD. (2011) Intentions to use social media in organizing and taking vacation trips. Computers in Human Behavior27(2): 640–654.
55.
PollockA (2009) The Future of Destination Marketing. Why All Marketing is Social Marketing. Presentation to BIT Reiseliv, Oslo, Norway.
56.
PoonA (1993) Tourism, Technology and Competitive Strategies. Wallingford: CAB International.
57.
QiSLawRBuhalisD (2008) Usability of Chinese destination management organization websites. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing25(2): 182–198.
58.
QualmanE (2012) Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business. New York: Wiley.
59.
ScheggRLiebrichAScaglioneM. (2008) An exploratory field study of Web 2.0 in Tourism In: LawRFuchsMRicciF (eds) Information & Communication Technologies in Tourism. Vienna: Springer, pp. 152–163.
60.
SchetzinaC (2009) Destination Marketing: Understanding the Role and Impact of Destination Marketers. New York: PhoCusWright, Inc.
61.
SchetzinaC (2010) Introduction to Social Media Analytics. New York: PhoCusWright, Inc.
62.
SevinE (2013) Places going viral: twitter usage patterns in destination marketing and place branding. Journal of Place Management and Development6(3): 227–239.
63.
SigalaM (2011) Preface. Special issue on Web 2.0 in travel and tourism: empowering and changing the role of travelers. Computers in Human Behavior27: 607–608.
64.
SnepengerDSnepengerM (1993) Information search by pleasure travelers. In: KahnMAOlsenMDVarT (eds) Encyclopedia of Hospitality and Tourism. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, pp. 830–835.
65.
SotiriadisMDvan ZylC (2013) Electronic word-of-mouth and online reviews in tourism services: the use of twitter by tourists. Electronic Commerce Research13: 103–124.
66.
StandingCTang-TayeJ-PBoyerM (2014) The impact of the Internet in travel and tourism: a research review 2001-2010. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing31(1
): 82–113.
67.
StankovULazićLDragićevićV (2010) The extent of use of basic Facebook user-generated content by the national tourism organizations in Europe. European Journal of Tourism Research3(2): 105–113.
68.
ThamACroyGMairJ (2013) Social media in destination choice: Distinctive electronic word-of-mouth dimensions. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing30(1–2): 144–155.
69.
ThevenotG (2007) Blogging as a social media. Tourism and Hospitality Research7(3–4): 287–289.
70.
TussyadiahIPFesenmaierDR (2008) Marketing places through first-person stories—an analysis of Pennsylvania Roadtripper blog. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing25(3–4): 299–311.
