What on-site landscape experiences attract potential visitors to a site? A Japan–Korea cross-cultural comparison

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the age of big data, social media’s influence on on-site landscape experiences is growing, and the relationship between on- and off-site landscape planning and management is becoming more important. The study’s objectives were: 1) to identify scenic hotspots based on on-site visitor experiences, 2) clarify landscape preferences and attractiveness based on photographs taken at scenic hotspots, and 3) examine similarities and differences between Japanese and Korean visitors in terms of landscape preferences and attractiveness. The data were collected using geotagged visitor employed photography from 153 visitors to the Takao Quasi-National Park in Japan were used to understand off-site appreciation, and compare Japanese and Korean visitors’ experiences. Photo-based questionnaires were completed by 42 Japanese and 40 Korean respondents. We collected 1,645 geotagged photographs, and performed a GIS analysis with network-based kernel density estimation to identify scenic hotspots. The data extracted from the photo-based questionnaire were used to analyze the relationship between on-site and off-site experiences, as well as similarities and differences between the Japanese and Korean participants. The data were analyzed using means, Welch’s t-test, Wilcoxon sum-rank test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and Kendall’s correlation analysis. The results identified nine scenic hotspots, and revealed that the photographs that the Japanese visitors preferred to take would not necessarily attract tourists, nor were they the same as the scenic spots and objects the Korean visitors found attractive. As international tourism expands, cross-cultural research on on- and off-site experiences and preferences has become increasingly important for forest landscape management and sustainable tourism.