Limits Of a Tourist Destination According to Instagram Posts

Abstract Book of the 7th International Conference on Tourism Management and Hospitality

Year: 2026

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Limits Of a Tourist Destination According to Instagram Posts

Teodora-Georgiana Mihaila, Oana-Mihaela Stoleriu, Cristian Stoleriu, Bogdan Ibanescu

ABSTRACT:

Social media platforms have become a major factor influencing the way we imagine, visit and experience destinations. They provide valuable data for understanding tourist perceptions and behaviour. This paper uses geolocated Instagram posts to explore the way Instagram shapes spatial perceptions of a tourism destination beyond its historical and administrative limits.
The results reinforce the complex and fluid nature of tourism destinations as products of various marketing narratives. They reveal a mental territorialization that follows the most popular travel itineraries and the main concentrations of tourist attractions and services along transport axes, with a low impact of seasonality. Marketing narratives and personal visitor experiences prevail in shaping spatial representations, rather than geographical and historical factors, leaving many peripheral areas underrepresented. The study highlights a dynamic and experiential reality much needed for destination management and promotion strategies.

Keywords: Tourist Destination, Tourist Region, Instagram, Online Content Analysis, Bukovina