Online representation of Switzerland as a tourism destination: An exploratory research on a Chinese microblogging platform

This research explores how tourism-related user-generated content is distributed by topics with reference to the online image of Switzerland as a tourism destination. Main goal of this study is to investigate online representation of Switzerland by Chinese travelers. Results show that the most mentioned topics in the Chinese microblogging platform are tourism related products and services. Chinese tourists express that the destination offers a pleasant atmosphere and a satisfying tourism experience. Moreover, people express their desire to visit Switzerland, discuss stories they heard from others about traveling to this country, and share information sources about Switzerland from third parties’ blogs or websites.