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Exploring local peoples’ perspectives of online destination images: A case study of the Khumbu region : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science at Lincoln University

Sherpa, Pasang
Date
2022
Type
Thesis
Fields of Research
ANZSRC::350804 Tourism marketing , ANZSRC::350604 Marketing communications
Abstract
Through various benefits of tourism, a place is transformed into a destination. These destinations compete with one another for tourists, with promoters creating and promoting the place as a destination, a product. Due to increased access to and use of the internet, promotion and reach have become much easier online, where individuals may obtain destination information with relative ease. These factors can contribute to tourists developing an illusory perception of a place that frequently differs from their experience. Locals are frequently absent from the narratives (both contributing and being a part) of their place which are depicted online. This can result in dissatisfaction among both residents and visitors and has the potential to negatively affect the relationships between them. While much of the research on locals’ perspectives on place focuses on developed country settings using quantitative approaches, there is a scarcity of literature that focuses on the qualitative nature of locals’ place image and their perceptions in a developing country setting. This research aims to address these gaps by exploring how local people respond to the online images used to promote their places. The study utilised as its case study site an area that is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Nepal, the Khumbu, the upper region of Solukhmbu which is known as the Everest region. The official Nepalese tourism website was used as the source for the online images analysed. Text and photos were gathered from Nepal's official tourism website and analysed to develop themes for a semi-structured interview with local people about their perspectives on destination image. Semi-structured online interviews were undertaken with 19 Khumbu residents. Their perspectives reveal that they have a strong sense of place based on their ancestral connection. They lacked faith in the official website as the true face of Khumbu. Their responses to the online themes were classified into three categories: acceptance, tolerance and disapproval. It was discovered that all of the participants wanted their community to be promoted and wanted to showcase Khumbu as their contemporary reality, including the stories of the various places and highlighting more of the culture and lifestyle, rather than only focusing on the mountains. The destination image formation model (Beerli & Martin, 2004) was modified based on the findings, to draw attention to the importance of local people and promoters as key agents in the destination image-making process. It is expected that this research will help inform authorities including official tourism promoters about the perspectives local people have regarding the portrayal of their place online. This will assist promoters in comprehending the destination which includes local people while also identifying opportunities to collaborate which improves the relationship between officials and local people and contribute to a more harmonious tourism system.