Comparing the Influences of Tourism Live Streaming and Short-Form Video for Young Chinese: A Qualitative Investigation

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reports on an exploratory study aimed at better understanding how the features of tourism live streaming (TLS) and tourism short-form video (TSV) differently and similarly influence young Chinese. For this exploratory study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Douyin users about their experiences using TLS and TSV. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. The findings show that as video tools for social media, both TLS and TSV expand users’ horizons and enhance their understanding of destinations. Comparatively, however, TLS provides users with a much more realistic and ‘real-time’ view of the destination than TSV. On the other hand, TSV allows users to review destination information in ways that TLS cannot and, to a degree, can also enhance destination appeal through the use of ‘staged’ videos. Furthermore, TLS and TSV differ in terms of functionality. This study adds to the body of knowledge concerned with the influences of mobile technologies on tourist consumption and production. In addition, key findings are likely to be of use to tourism destination managers and marketers seeking to operationalize TLS and TSV for promotional purposes.