Travel Through the Lens: Instagram's UGC in Shaping Tourism Destinations

This thesis investigates the ways in which user-generated content (UGC) on Instagram is employed by destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to influence city branding and affect tourists' decision-making processes. As travel behaviors become more image-centered and digitally influenced, UGC has surfaced as a potent medium for promoting tourism, providing genuine and relatable representations of locations. This thesis uses the official Instagram profiles of @iamsterdam and @rotterdam_info - the respective DMOs of Amsterdam and Rotterdam - as case studies, and performs a qualitative visual content examination of 148 posts to uncover recurring themes, branding tactics, and interaction patterns. Utilizing the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), the study analyzes how users' motivations for sharing and interacting with content correspond with the city branding objectives of DMOs. Specifically, it particularly explores the role of user-generated content in shaping a city's symbolic identity, reinforcing narratives unique to specific places, and aiding strategic initiatives to establish urban locations as culturally lively, unique, and appealing in a competitive international tourism landscape. Against this theoretical backdrop, the research asks: "How does user-generated content (UGC) on Instagram utilized by destination marketing organizations (DMOs), reflect the branding and decision-making process for tourism destinations, specifically the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam?" The results indicate that while both cities make use of UGC to showcase entertainment, experiential opportunities, and natural attractions, they exhibit differences in tone, storytelling, and hashtag usage. Amsterdam prefers expressive and content-focused tags, while Rotterdam adopts a more organized and formal branding style. Overall, the analysis indicates that user-generated content (UGC) not only reflects travel habits but also actively contributes to the formation of the symbolic identity of urban locations. DMOs, by curating and resharing user content, co-author the visual narrative of a destination, shaping both perception and desire. In the end, this thesis offers important insights into the evolving relationship between digital media, city branding, and public perception, highlighting the importance of everyday imagery in boosting the attractiveness of cities in a competitive global tourism landscape.