ANALYSIS OF TOURIST BEHAVIOR AND INTEREST BASED ON COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE USING PHOTOS AND METADATA: WITH A FOCUS ON KYOTO CITY AREA

Tomoka Togiya, Yusuke Kimura*, Tetsuharu Oba, Junichi Susaki

Abstract

Overcrowding at popular sightseeing spots was a persistent issue prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the behavior of tourists is crucial for mitigating this problem. In the digital age, tourists frequently share their travel experiences by posting photos online. These images and metadata offer insights into the “where” and “what” aspects of tourist interests. This study aims to illuminate the patterns of tourist interests and behavior based on their country of residence by using the photos they share on social media with metadata from various locations around Kyoto City. We conducted correspondence analyses focusing on three factors: the tourists’ country of residence, photo location, and depicted subjects. Our findings revealed significant differences between residents and tourists in terms of their interests. Moreover, by identifying the relations between the preference for sightseeing spots and subjects, we demonstrate tourists by their country of residence that indicated the same trends as those of all tourists and those that did not.

Keywords: Geographic Information Systems, Flickr, EXIF, Correspondence Analysis, Cluster Analysis

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