A cross‐cultural study of screen‐tourists' profiles

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is a cross‐cultural analysis to compare the profiles of international screen‐tourists by nationalities. Also it investigates the screen‐tourism concept as associated with the Hallyu phenomenon. Owing to the nature of the topic being examined, an instrument with study‐specific items was created.

Design/methodology/approach

The objectives of this paper were achieved through the critical review of previous screen‐tourism literature combined with a structured on‐site survey which included both open‐ and close‐ended questions with inbound tourists who were visiting the Daejanggeum Theme Park in South Korea.

Findings

The principal value of this study can be seen in its offering of a general overview of the characteristics of screen‐tourists induced by the television drama Daejanggeum. The outcomes of this study concurred with the findings of some previous research which indicated the powerful impact of consuming popular media products including television dramas on destination choice and increase in tourist numbers. Therefore, the findings present a considerable amount of insight into the screen‐tourism phenomenon.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the overall success of the research methodology, a number of limitations were identified. Probably, the most significant of these relates to the generalisability of the results. Whilst this research has contributed to the existing knowledge of screen‐tourism, it would undoubtedly be beneficial to build on it through further research. In particular, research that would examine whether the main findings identified here are more widely representative would be useful. A multi‐destination paper could be undertaken in which would provide rich, comparative data on the nature and characteristics of the phenomenon in other such destinations.

Practical implications

This paper will be of value to academics and industry practitioners interested in screen‐tourism and indeed tourism in general as well as students studying the screen‐tourism phenomenon. The results of this study could benefit destination managers, academics, film and television stakeholders who have an interest in screen‐tourism destination development.

Originality/value

This paper offers a general overview of socio‐demographic characteristics of international screen‐tourists induced by a television drama and it explores the differences in screen‐tourists' profiles including travel patterns and screen product preference in the inter‐Asian dimension. The paper addresses a gap in the literature on the area of cross‐cultural analysis and the screen‐tourist.

Citation

Kim, S. and O'Connor, N. (2011), "A cross‐cultural study of screen‐tourists' profiles", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 141-158. https://doi.org/10.1108/17554211111123005