Arctic Circle’s “Lonely Swing,” Austria’s suspended bridge, Iceland’s airplane wreckage… A growing number of global destinations are creating internet-famous attractions to cater to Chinese tourists seeking unique and novel experiences.
Data have shown that during this year's Spring Festival holiday, Chinese tourists visited more than 2,000 cities worldwide, with a significant increase in spending on experiential activities. However, without photos to capture these experiences, tourism seems to lose its significance.
In a survey by Qyer.com, 87% of Chinese tourists revealed that "the quality of photos" is a key factor influencing their choice of travel destination. For many, internet-famous attractions are considered the best answer for capturing these flawless photos.
Under the commercial logic of traffic monetization, businesses, consumers, and even governments have, to some extent, been swept up in the wave of internet fame. Embracing Chinese social media has become a "lifeline" for certain international attractions.
In Pamukkale, Turkey, a local travel agency invested in account incubation services for a "site exploration influencer" from a popular Chinese short-video platform, aiming to get the attraction featured in the hashtag #HealingTravel's recommendation pool. An internal evaluation by the platform estimated that the cost of maintaining the algorithm was around USD 120,000, but the promotional value and increased traffic it generated for Pamukkale surpassed USD 3 million.
