Sustainable Travel on YouTube: Discussion and Perception: How do YouTube travel vlogs discuss sustainable travel? How are they perceived?
2020 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
The objective of this study is to explore how YouTube travel vlogs discuss sustainable travel and how they are perceived. By using framing analysis, the research codes are based on the three pillars of sustainability; economic, environmental, and social. Specifically, in the tourism contexts, this research seeks to identify narratives referring to local accommodations, restaurants, and shops, cultural, historical, and interactions with local communities, and finally, nature appreciation, use of environmental materials, and transportation. To understand perception 20 interviews are completed with an even split of female and male millennials. This paper concludes YouTube travel vlogs discuss sustainable travel indirectly and minimally. Economic and environmental codes were relatively easiest to identify in comparison to social codes. The varying definitions of social sustainability prove challenging to pinpoint in the coding process. Although there is a growing awareness of sustainable travel, ‘popular’ YouTube influencers are slow to adapt and add elements of sustainability to their messaging, yet perception levels were higher than expected. It proves important to increase sustainable travel messages among ‘popular’ social media influencers.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2020.
Keywords [en]
vlog, YouTube, perceptions, sustainable travel, sustainability
National Category
Economics and Business
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-99040OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-99040DiVA, id: diva2:1503564
Subject / course
Tourism Studies
Educational program
Tourism and Sustainability, 120 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
2020-11-272020-11-242020-11-27Bibliographically approved