Autonomous Agents and Destination Image Formation of an Olympic Host City: The Case of Sochi 2014
2015; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 25; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/19368623.2014.1002146
ISSN1936-8631
AutoresLuke R. Potwarka, Maria Banyai,
Tópico(s)Wine Industry and Tourism
ResumoScant attention has been given to the role autonomous agents (i.e., politically contentious news reports) might play in the formation of destination images about Olympic host cities. This study analyzed content of travel blogs related to trips to Sochi during the 2014 Olympics. Our purpose was to explore destination images held by travelers to Sochi in the wake of contentions news reports about Russia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) legislation. Both thematic and CATPAC (content analysis software) content analysis were employed to derive themes representing impressions and perceptions of Sochi. Findings focus primarily on images related to Sochi as a tourist destination and an Olympic host city. Bloggers' impressions and perceptions did not seem to reflect autonomous agents related to LGBT laws in particular. However, bloggers did reflect on misleading news stories more generally, and subsequent images from travel experiences that did not match expectations set by these stories. Implications for marketers are discussed.
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