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An examination of tourists’ identity in tourist weblogs

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Abstract

The present study focused on one of the new mass media technologies, weblogs, which allow more tourists to construct an expressive self by posting their writings about their travel experiences. The current research examined the meanings represented in the personal travel experiences and how self-identity is constructed in the touristic discourse. Utilizing critical discourse analysis (CDA), the travel blogs posted by Chinese tourists about their experiences of visiting a Chinese minority group—the matriarchal Mosuo—were analyzed. Among 69 blogs, four major topics were located. The study identified the fragmented, fluid, and flexible nature of self-identity constructed in the postmodern social conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hospitality Management, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Ackerman Hall Room 14, 911 South Drive, Indiana, PA, 15705, USA

    Yasong Wang

  2. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, 4008E Biltmore Hall, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Duarte B. Morais

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  1. Yasong Wang
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  2. Duarte B. Morais
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Correspondence to Yasong Wang.

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Wang, Y., Morais, D.B. An examination of tourists’ identity in tourist weblogs. Inf Technol Tourism 14, 239–260 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-014-0016-6

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