SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TOOL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TOURIST OBJECTS (CASE STUDY OF THE STAVROPOL KRAJ)
Abstract
The analysis of social media is rapidly developing in the Western recreational geography. The interest is related to statistical data, which are difficult to obtain in the studies using the classical methods. The authors’ method of analyzing tourism activities with the help of photos geotagging is discussed. A database was compiled which includes 147 308 geotagged tourist photos for the territory of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and the city of Stavropol with the adjacent municipal districts. The space-time distribution of geotagged photos was analyzed at four spatial levels. The age and sex structure of the tourist flow was also determined, as well as the most visited tourist and recreation centers, areas and facilities of the study area. The seasonality of tourist flow was analyzed for the Central Park of Stavropol and the Kislovodsk National Park. It is found out that park specialization influences the number of tourist visits during the year. The tourist and recreational areas and facilities were classified and specific types of tourism destinations were identified for the Stavropol Kraj.
Keywords
social media,
tourist destinations,
tourism in the Stavropol Kraj,
GIS analysis,
geotags,
tourism,
social networks
Supporting agencies: The study was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project № 17-55-53109).
About the Authors
V. S. Tikunov
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russian Federation
Faculty of Geography, Professor, D.Sc. in Geography
Russian Federation
Faculty of Geography, Professor, D.Sc. in Geography
V. S. Belozerov
North Caucasus Federal University
Russian Federation
Professor, D.Sc. in Geography
Russian Federation
Professor, D.Sc. in Geography
S. O. Antipov
North Caucasus Federal University
Russian Federation
postgraduate student
Russian Federation
postgraduate student
I. P. Suprunchuk
North Caucasus Federal University
Russian Federation
Associate Professor, PhD. in Geography
Russian Federation
Associate Professor, PhD. in Geography
References
1. Auditoriya VKontakte [Audience VKontakte] // VKontakte URL: https://vk.com/page-47200925_44240810 (Accessed: 11.08.2017) (in Russian).
2. Chto takoe geoteging? [What is a geotag?] // GPSClub URL: http://gps club.ru/detail.php?ID=16234 (Accessed: 09.12.2016) (in Russian).
3. Indaco A., Manovich L. Urban social media inequality: definition, measurements, and application // Gorodskie issledovaniya i praktiki. 2016. № 1. P. 11–23.
4. Internet World Stats // Internet world stats URL: http:// www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm (Accessed: 11.08.2017).
5. Kadar B., Gede M. Where do tourists go? Visualizing and analysing the spatial distribution of geotagged photography // Cartographica. The International J. Geographic Information and Geovisualization. 2013. V. 48. № 2. P. 78–88.
6. Lebedev P.A., Petukhova S.I. Social’nye media: pokazatel’ razvitiya informacionnogo obshhestva? [Social media: indicator of development of the information society?] Monitoring obshhestvennogo mneniya: ekonomicheskie i social’nye peremeny. 2010. № 5. P. 16–25 (in Russian).
7. Panin A.N., Tikunov V.S., Furshhik M.A. Geoinformacionnoe obespechenie turizma v Rossii: podkhody, metody, tekhnologii [Geoinformation support of tourism in Russia: approaches, methods, technologies]. M.: Dialog kul’tur, 2014 (in Russian).
8. Rassokhina T.V. Menedzhment turistskikh destinaciy [Management of Tourist Destinations]. M.: Sovetskiy sport, 2014 (in Russian).
9. Statistika social’nykh setey [Social Network Statistics] Brand Analytics URL: https://br-analytics.ru/statistics/author (Accessed: 11.08.2017) (in Russian).
10. Vu H.Q., Li G., Law R., Ye B.H. Exploring the travel behaviors of inbound tourists to Hong Kong using geotagged photos // Tourism Management. 2015. V. 46. P. 222–232.
11. Zhenshhiny i muzhchinyRossii. 2016: Statisticheskiy sbornik [Women and men of Russia. 2016: Statistical Digest] // Red. koll.: L.I. Ageeva, M.A. Zabaturina i dr. M.: Rosstat, 2016 (in Russian).
Review
For citations:
Tikunov V.S., Belozerov V.S., Antipov S.O., Suprunchuk I.P. SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TOOL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TOURIST OBJECTS (CASE STUDY OF THE STAVROPOL KRAJ). Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 5, Geografiya. 2018;(3):89-95. (In Russ.)
Views:
1942
Email this article 
