Understanding Chinese tourist mobility and consumption-related behaviours in London using Sina Weibo check-ins

Zi Ye,Andy Newing,Graham Clarke

doi:10.1177/2399808320980748

Zi Ye, Andy Newing + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/2399808320980748

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Abstract

In this paper, we detail an individual-level analysis of under-exploited location-based social network (LBSN) data extracted from Sina Weibo, a comprehensive source for data-driven research focused on Chinese populations. The richness of the Sina Weibo data, coupled with high-quality venue and attraction information from Foursquare, enables us to track Chinese tourists visiting London and understand behaviours and mobility patterns revealed by their activities and venue-based ‘check-ins’. We use these check-ins to derive a series of indicators of mobility which reveal aggregate and individual-level behaviours associated with Chinese tourists in London, and which act as a tool to segment tourists based on those behaviours. Our data-driven tourist segmentation indicates that different groups of Chinese tourists have distinctive activity preferences and travel patterns. Our primary interest is in tourists’ consumption behaviours, and we reveal that tourists with similar activity preferences still exhibit individualised behaviours with regards to the nature and location of key consumption activities such as shopping and dining out. We aim to understand more about Chinese tourist shopping behaviours as a secondary activity associated with multi-purpose trips, demonstrating that these data could permit insights into tourist behaviours and mobility patterns which are not well captured by official tourism statistics, especially at a localised level. This analysis could be up-scaled to incorporate additional LBSN data sources and broader population subgroups in order to support data-driven urban analytics related to tourist mobilities and consumption behaviours.

Highlights

Tourism is an important driver of urban mobility within major cities
In a comprehensive review of the literature, Li et al (2018) note that user-generated data for tourism research have grown rapidly, predominantly drawn from geo-located photos, microblogs or location-based check-ins. These insights can be broadly thought of as first aggregate-level indicators of tourist activity preferences captured by ‘hot spots’ of tourism activity at a destination (Salas-Olmedo et al, 2018; Vu et al, 2015); and second as more individualised insights into tourist itineraries and activity patterns, which is the focus of our discussion
Segmentation of Chinese tourists based on their multipurpose travel behaviours We explore specific attraction choices and mobility patterns exhibited by aggregate-level Weibo tourist check-ins, but at the individual level tourist travel motivation and interest preferences are varied

Summary

Introduction

Tourism is an important driver of urban mobility within major cities. A micro-level understanding of tourist characteristics, mobility trajectories and consumption-related behaviours is essential for urban planning and urban service analysis (McKercher and Lau, 2008). In a comprehensive review of the literature, Li et al (2018) note that user-generated data for tourism research have grown rapidly, predominantly drawn from geo-located photos, microblogs or location-based check-ins. These insights can be broadly thought of as first aggregate-level indicators of tourist activity preferences captured by ‘hot spots’ of tourism activity at a destination (Salas-Olmedo et al, 2018; Vu et al, 2015); and second as more individualised insights into tourist itineraries and activity patterns, which is the focus of our discussion

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