Photographs in Tourism Destination Management Research in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Abstract

Main purpose of this paper is to explore how tourist photography in the post-COVID-19 era can contribute by creating experience value in coastal tourism and in destination management. An important reference is made on how the tourist photography contributes to the upgrading of the tourist product of the area and more precisely on a mass tourism destination in Greece, Halkidiki. Further, the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic is studied together with the consequences it generates in the destinations. More specifically, the study undertaken had to answer the following questions: What is the photographic image that tourists form in their minds when visiting Halkidiki? How does a photographic image contribute to a sustainable tourist development? Is there an increase in the display of photos from tourist destinations, in the COVID-19 and in the post-COVID-19 era, due to the greater use of the internet? How influential are photographs for traveling in the post-COVID-19 era? The study took place from March to May 2021 and was undertaken with the use of quantitative methodology. The results of the conducted research show that the creation of photographic images is related to clean and sandy beaches along with natural beauty. In addition, the photographic images can consolidate the tourism of the destination to a satisfactory level. This happens especially nowadays when virtual travel, through images, is boosted due to the pandemic COVID-19. As a general conclusion, photographic images influence the decision for a trip in the post-COVID-19 era.KeywordsBrandingDestination managementPhotographyCOVID-19Decision-makingJEL ClassificationL83Z31Z30Z32Z33Z38