Abstract
Social media platforms are instrumental in helping tourism destinations project their tourism imaginaries to potential tourists. In light of this, this study refines a multimodal evaluative semiotic framework to understand how the Xizang Autonomous Region's (hereafter Xizang) tourism imaginaries are communicated via verbal and visual semiotic resources on mobile social media, i.e., Douyin. Analyzing 340 short videos from the official account of Xizang, we discerned seven distinctive attributes characterizing its tourism imaginaries. These encompass abundant natural resources, a wealth of historical and cultural heritages, authentic and immersive encounters, stable and supportive governance by the Chinese government, portrayal as a land of sanctity and healing, exceptional warmth and hospitality, and firm commitments to environmental sustainability. These multifaceted tourism imaginaries reflect the contemporary societal dynamics in the era of "nèi juǎn" (involution) of China's and Xizang's unique sociocultural and political contexts. The study's findings could guide marketing efforts and support sustainable growth in tourism, offering insights for branding in Xizang and similar ethnic destinations.
References
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Valeiras-Jurado, J., & Ruiz-Madrid, N. (2023). The influence of discipline, medium and target audience in multimodal recontextualization practices: The case of popular science online videos. Ibérica. (46), 237-269.
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Wang, Y., & Feng, D. (2023). History, modernity, and city branding in China: a multimodal critical discourse analysis of Xi’an’s promotional videos on social media. Social Semiotics, 33(2), 402-425.
Xia, S. A., & Hafner, C. A. (2022). Engaging the online audience in the digital era: A multimodal analysis of engagement strategies in TED talk videos. Ibérica, (42), 33-58. < https://doi.org/10.17398/2340-2784.42.33 >
Yang, L., & Wall, G. (2023). Ethnic Tourism: Impacts, Challenges and Opportunities.
Alam, S. H., Ahmed, R. R., Hashem, E., Rami, A., Salleh, N. Z. M., Vasa, L., Delibasic, M, & Abrham, J. (2022). Destination environmental branding and sustainable eco-conscious consumer. Transformations in Business & Economics, 21 (2), 121-146.
Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K. S., Daily, G. C., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 112(28), 8567-8572. doi:10.1073/pnas.1510459112
Chu, S. C., Deng, T., & Cheng, H. (2020). The role of social media advertising in hospitality, tourism and travel: a literature review and research agenda. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(11), 3419-3438.
Cuong, V. M. (2020). Alienation of ethnic minorities in community-based tourism. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(21), 2649-2665.
Cenni, I., & Goethals, P. (2020). Positive reviews on TripAdvisor: a cross-linguistic study of contemporary digital tourism discourse. Onomázein, 18-40.
Du, X., Liechty, T., Santos, C. A., & Park, J. (2022). ‘I want to record and share my wonderful journey’: Chinese Millennials’ production and sharing of short-form travel videos on TikTok or Douyin. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(21), 3412-3424.
De Bernardi, C. (2021). Authenticity as a compromise: A critical discourse analysis of Sámi tourism websites. In Indigenous Heritage (pp. 71-84). Routledge.
de Bernardi, C. (2022). Sámi tourism in marketing material: a multimodal discourse analysis. Acta Borealia, 39(2), 115-137.
Feng, D. W. (2023). Multimodal Chinese Discourse: Understanding Communication and Society in Contemporary China. Routledge.
Feng, D. W. (2023). Multimodal evaluation and the promotion of China’s national image. In D. W. Feng (Ed.), Multimodal Chinese Discourse: Understanding Communication and Society in Contemporary China (pp. 55-77). Taylor & Francis.
Feldkamp, J. (2021). The rise of TikTok: The evolution of a social media platform during COVID-19. Digital responses to Covid-19: Digital innovation, transformation, and entrepreneurship during pandemic outbreaks, 73-85.
Jiang, J., & Lim, F. V. (2022). Popularizing science–Analyzing the presenter’s multimodal orchestration in a TED talk. Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos (AELFE), (44), 179-206.
Gebreel, O. S. S., & Shuayb, A. (2022). Contribution of social media platforms in tourism promotion. International Journal of Social Science, Education, Communication and Economics (SINOMICS JOURNAL), 1(2), 189-198.
Gobe M. 2010. Emotional branding: the new paradigm for connecting brands to people. Canada: Allworth Pres.
Hunt, J. D. (1975). Image as a factor in tourism development. Journal of travel research, 13(3), 1-7.
Horner, S., & Swarbrooke, J. (2020). Consumer behaviour in tourism. Routledge.
Isti'anah, A., Rahmasari, S., & Lauwren, S. (2021). Post-Pandemic Indonesian Tourism Promotion in Instagram: Multimodal Discourse Analysis. Journal of Modern Languages, 31(2), 46-76.
Kress, G. (2009). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge.
Kim, H., & Chen, J. S. (2019). The memorable travel experience and its reminiscence functions. Journal of Travel Research, 58(4), 637-649.
Kress, G., and T. Van Leeuwen. (2020). Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge.
Kress, G., and T. Van Leeuwen. (2006). Reading Images: The grammar of visual design 2nd ed. Routledge.
Li, D., Chow, U. T. C., & Cheong, C. Y. M. (2022). A critical genre analysis of covert advertising through short-videos in Douyin: The Chinese version of TikTok. SAGE Open, 12(4), 21582440221134608.
Lam, P. W. (2018). The discursive construction and realization of the Hong Kong brand: A corpus-informed study. Text & Talk, 38(2), 191-215.
Ma, T., and Y. Xie. (2020). Distant dreams: A study on embodied tourism experience in Tibet. Journal of Xizang Minzu University, 41(03): 120-127.
Machin, D. (2013). What is multimodal critical discourse studies?. Critical discourse studies, 10(4), 347-355.
Xizang Autonomous Region Government. (2023, July 14). 2022年西藏自治区国民经济和社会发展统计公报 [Statistical bulletin on national economic and social development of the Xizang Autonomous Region in 2022]. Retrieved from Xizang Government.
Xizang Autonomous Region Bureau of Statistics. (2023, September 28). Statistical Data. Retrieved from http://tjj.xizang.gov.cn/xxgk/tjxx/tjsj/
Turra, E. (2020). Culture, communication and persuasion on gastronomic tourism websites: A multimodal analysis. Journal of Visual Literacy, 39(3-4), 256-272. < https://doi.org/10.1080/1051144X.2020.1828676>
Vallejo, A. M. F. (2023). Visual strategies of sustainability communication on corporate webpages. A critical multimodal discourse analysis in the hospitality sector. Ibérica: Revista de la Asociación Europea de Lenguas para Fines Específicos (AELFE), (45), 109-137.
Valeiras-Jurado, J., & Ruiz-Madrid, N. (2023). The influence of discipline, medium and target audience in multimodal recontextualization practices: The case of popular science online videos. Ibérica. (46), 237-269.
Wengel, Y., Ma, L., Ma, Y., Apollo, M., Maciuk, K., & Ashton, A. S. (2022). The TikTok effect on destination development: Famous overnight, now what? Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 37, 100458. < https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2021.100458 >
Wang, Y., & Feng, D. (2023). History, modernity, and city branding in China: a multimodal critical discourse analysis of Xi’an’s promotional videos on social media. Social Semiotics, 33(2), 402-425.
Xia, S. A., & Hafner, C. A. (2022). Engaging the online audience in the digital era: A multimodal analysis of engagement strategies in TED talk videos. Ibérica, (42), 33-58. < https://doi.org/10.17398/2340-2784.42.33 >
Yang, L., & Wall, G. (2023). Ethnic Tourism: Impacts, Challenges and Opportunities.
Copyright (c) 2025 shuangyan Du, Cecilia Yin Mei Cheong
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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