FROM PRESENCE TO VISIBILITY: RESTRUCTURING TOURISM EXPERIENCE IN THE ERA OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS - THE CASE OF PHU QUOC

Abstract

Using Phu Quoc as a case study, this article examines how TikTok and Instagram shape tourism experiences in the platform era. The study employs qualitative content analysis of a purposively selected dataset of 187 publicly accessible TikTok and Instagram posts published between 2023 and 2025. Through a systematic coding process, the analysis identifies recurring visual motifs, tourism practices, and narrative patterns across the two platforms. The findings suggest that tourism experiences may increasingly be shaped before travel by recurring visual motifs and platform-based content. Based on these findings, the article proposes the concept of platform-mediated tourism experience, arguing that in the platform era, digital media should no longer be understood merely as a promotional tool but as a constitutive component of the tourism experience itself.