Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.30.4.3
Co creating travel experiences in a destination in crisis on youtube vloggs
Amaratunga Achchige Ishara Lakmali
; Lecturer, (Corresponding author) The Open University of Sri Lanka, Department of Marketing Management Nawala, Sri Lanka
Nalin Abeysekera
; Professor Management, Open University of Sri Lanka, Department of Marketing Management, Nawala, Sri Lanka
Suranga Dac Silva
; Professor Tourism,University of Colombo, Department of Economics, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Abstract
Purpose – The purposes of this study were to explore the aspects of crisis destinations that
tourists described in their YouTube vlogs, and their co-creation motives.
Methodology/Design/Approach – A purposive sampling was drawn to select ten videos uploaded
to YouTube during the crisis in Sri Lanka based on keyword searches. A thematic analysis was
employed to analyse the verbatim content of the videos using QDA Miner Lite software.
Findings – The findings revealed that tourists who share their experiences in YouTube vlogs
tend to provide information about the crisis, tourist safety, and their self-reflection as vloggers.
They co-create cognitive information and share empathetic content about incidents they have
encountered at the destinations. Further, tourists co-create content for different motives: to
receive rewards, for entertainment purposes, to help other tourists, and to support affected
locals in destinations in crisis areas with their contributions in YouTube travel vlogs.
Originality of the research – Vlogging on social media is becoming a popular trend, and
tourists’ co-creations on travel vlogs are attracting the attention of many stakeholders in the
tourism industry. However, co-creating tourist travel experiences in developing destinations
during a crisis through YouTube travel vlogs is still an under-researched area.
Keywords
Co-creation, Travel Experiences, YouTube Vlogs, Destinations in Crisis, Sri Lanka
Hrčak ID:
320587
URI
Publication date:
10.9.2024.
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