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The Virtual Fan(G) Community: Social Media and Pop Culture Tourism

Tourism Social Media: Transformations in Identity, Community and Culture

ISBN: 978-1-78190-213-4, eISBN: 978-1-78190-262-2

Publication date: 9 July 2013

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the importance of social media for pop culture fans. A web survey for fans of the Twilight Saga is implemented, using the concepts of cognitive, affective, and evaluative social identity and personal, product, and situational involvement. The purpose is to examine to what degree social identity and involvement can explain pop culture fans’ future intention to travel, make recommendations to others, and use social media. Findings show that pop culture fans use social media to a large extent and that these means are important for making decisions about traveling and event participation. Moreover, the chapter shows that involvement dimensions are more important than social identity dimensions to explain future intention to travel, to recommend to others, and to use social media.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Stavroula Wallström at University of Borås for creative and insightful ideas in the development of the survey instrument. Thanks are also extended to Mid Sweden University and the European Union Structural Funds for their contribution to the funding of this study through the projects “PopCulTour” and Kunskapsbaserad turismutveckling (Knowledge-based tourism development).

Citation

Lexhagen, M., Larson, M. and Lundberg, C. (2013), "The Virtual Fan(G) Community: Social Media and Pop Culture Tourism", Tourism Social Media: Transformations in Identity, Community and Culture (Tourism Social Science Series, Vol. 18), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 133-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1571-5043(2013)0000018010

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013 Emerald Group Publishing Limited