网络志评析:智慧旅游时代的应用与创新

Appraising Netnography: Its Adoption and Innovation in the Smart Tourism Era

Web 2.0技术在全球的迅猛发展为网络与旅游的结合提供了重要的基础,并为现代旅游业开启了一个崭新的时代。人们的旅游搜索和分享方式都与互联网密切相关。该研究认为,互联网不仅为游客提供了信息搜索和分享的便捷平台,也为旅游学研究提供了良好的数据信息。如何深度挖掘和利用这些数据,并为旅游业的健康发展做贡献,成为旅游学研究面临的一个重要问题。在此背景下,文章重点介绍网络志研究方法。网络志是人类志在网络时代的应用,在智慧旅游的大背景下具有很强的用武之地。研究认为,网络志能有效帮助我们快速了解新兴的、变化的旅游市场,并做出相应的市场反应。文章结合旅游业的一个新兴现象"间隔年",重点阐述网络志的实用操作步骤(包括前期准备、数据收集、数据解释以及成员检测),并提出该方法在使用过程中所存在的问题以及改进建议。

In the web 2.0 era, social media play a critical role both in influencing tourists＇ destination choices and in communicating their holiday experiences, and they have considerably changed the way in which tourists search for and collaboratively produce information regarding tourism suppliers and tourism destinations. The spontaneous information generated by tourists, usually called user generated content, creates opportunities for social scientists to trace people＇s social activities and encounters on the Internet and through other technologically- mediated communications. In the social and digital environment, novel research methods to study how we think, feel and behave have been developed.One of these new methods is netnography, an adaptation of traditional ethnography. The aim of this paper is to explain, comment on and illustrate this technique with an example in the tourism field.In this study, it is argued that netonography, a naturalistic and unobtrusive methodology developed by Robert Kozinets, could play a critical role in enhancing our understanding of a） the rapidly changing tourist markets, b） growth of new markets, and c） culturally distinctive groups. This article introduces key methodological issues regarding netnography and reviews core advantages and disadvantages of this approach. It then outlines the practical steps to employ the method- entrée, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, and member checks.As a methodologically oriented article, this study begins with a review of netnography, including its background, its notable features, and its current application to a range of topics. To enhance our understanding of the approach, a new tourist market was studied. The specific market was that of the emerging＂Gap Year＂undertaken by China＇s new generation. Specifically, this paper briefly reviews the context of the case- the emerging Chinese＂Gap Year＂phenomenon. It then employs netnographic analysis and examines two core questions about the Chinese gappers：（1） Who are they？ and（2） What are their motivations to be involved in this new activity？ The last section of this article discusses the insights about adopting netnography both derived from and beyond the case study. Issues arising from the case study for the application of netnography in tourism research were highlighted. They included the value of the detail inherent in the postings, the attendant ability to consider the material using conceptual schemes, the practicality of getting additional information, the need to fully address ethical concerns and the value of supplementary perspectives.In summary, this methodological article offers an example of the procedures of using netnography in a non- western culture within the tourism context. Insights from netnography for researchers and destination organizations are provided. Furthermore, a range of techniques to enhance the power of netnograhy at each stage are identified. The netnographic approach and its variations can be adopted in many areas of tourism studies and in multiple international contexts.