This study investigates how audience attitudes towards Chinese tourism have evolved following the reinstatement of the transit visa-free policy, using YouTube comments as the primary data source. By employing sentiment analysis, Latent Code Identification (LACOID), and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), the study examines comments from YouTube travel videos published by bloggers from different regions. The findings reveal a significant increase in positive sentiment post-policy, suggesting that increased exposure to diverse and authentic travel narratives has positively influenced public perceptions of China as a travel destination. Additionally, the study highlights regional variations in audience responses, indicating that cultural context plays a critical role in shaping public sentiment. These insights demonstrate the powerful influence of social media content in shaping tourism perceptions, and suggest that policy changes, when effectively communicated through popular media platforms, can significantly enhance the attractiveness of a destination.
Pan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.