Abstract Book of the 3rd International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities in the 21st Century
Year: 2025
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Creating Instagram Photography for Cultural Immersive Tourism: Ban Pa Pong Piang Rice Terraces, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rattapol Chaiyarat, Chon J. NeVille
ABSTRACT:
Tourists increasingly rely on Instagram accounts of influencers and travelers who share carefully curated images of popular destinations, including the Ban Pa Pong Piang Rice Terraces in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This phenomenon raises significant questions about the passive nature of modern tourism, as travelers often visit locations that are already familiar due to the proliferation of images on social media. The objective of this research is to examine how the creation and consumption of Instagram photography shape travel experiences, and to explore whether tourists’ engagement with destinations like Ban Pa Pong Piang can still be considered passive in an era of cultural immersive tourism and digital saturation. The methodology for this study involves focus groups consisting of 35 students enrolled in a Digital and New Media course during the 2024 academic year at a university in Thailand. The qualitative data gathered from these discussions will be analyzed to better understand the role of Instagram photography in shaping modern tourism, particularly within the context of cultural immersive travel. The research findings highlight that Instagram not only promotes specific aesthetic standards but also constructs idealized versions of tourist destinations, influencing travelers’ behaviors, perceptions, and engagement with the places they visit. The study demonstrates that Instagram can transform tourist experiences into a form of active participation, as users curate their own images to contribute to the digital narrative of these locations. These insights may have significant implications for destination marketing strategies and contribute to a deeper understanding of how social media is transforming modern tourism and can sustainably enhance the competitive potential of local tourism communities.
Keywords: Instagram photography, hyperreality, digital tourism, cultural immersive tourism, and Ban Pa Pong Piang Rice Terraces