New way to travel: Travel Live Streaming

Abstract

Recent research highlights the vulnerability of tourism to external factors, such as rampant viruses, a volatile world situation, and an environment threatened by human activity. The emergence of Travel Live Streaming (TLS) not only offers a new way to spend time in people’s daily lives, but it also seems to offer a new way to alleviate problems. Academic interest in this industry is growing, although literature on this topic is currently limited, and does not offer meaningful advice to those involved in TLS. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Chinese viewers’ opinions and attitudes regarding live tourism, and, based on the results to offer guidance for sponsors and live streamers from other nations who already use or plan to use TLS. The study employed a questionnaire, and correlation analysis was used for the assessment of the results. Further, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain deeper insight into the topic. The study proved the relationship between the Real-time interaction experience and viewers’ impressions of the product/service in TLS, as well as the relationship between the quality of the TLS and viewers’ decisions. Viewers shared their own attitudes towards the over-promotion of product/service in TLS during the interviews.