Tourist gaze through computer vision : where, what, how and why?

Purpose: This paper aims to answer the following four research questions: Where do tourists gaze at the destination? What do tourists gaze at the destination? How do tourists gaze differently? Why do tourists gaze differently referring to relevant theory? Design/methodology/approach: With a computer vision approach, this study illustrated a series of maps that reflect where and what do tourists gaze at and compared the differences in the visual perceptions among Asian, European and North American tourists in Hong Kong. Findings: The findings confirm that the “tourist gaze” is influenced by geographical and cultural conditions. The conclusions provided three types of implementations for destination management strategies and advocated a high engagement with computer vision technology. Originality/value: In theory, this study proves that the “tourist gaze” is influenced by geographical and cultural conditions. The study’s methodological contribution lies in applying advanced technology of visual content analysis for big data relevant to the issue of the tourist gaze. Practically, the finding that has not been achieved via previous questionnaire surveys will serve as a reference for tourism recommendations and precision marketing. In addition, its practical contribution is that it offers a means by which to explore tourists’ perceptions of destinations and understand the attractiveness of destinations to tourists.