Self-identity and cool destinations: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of Chinese youth travellers

This research investigates the relationship between cool destinations and self-identity in the Chinese context and the role of the “coolness” phenomenon in tourism destination marketing. In doing so, this study explores how Chinese youth travellers construct their identity through their lived experiences in cool destinations. Interpretative phenomenological analysis is employed to investigate young travellers’ narratives of visiting destinations they perceived as “cool”. Findings reveal that cool destinations serve as spaces for self-discovery and as a self-reflective mirror, where encounters with divergent social realities prompted participants to reassess their identity in everyday life. How travellers negotiate between individual self-identity and their social identity is evident, and the role of travel in challenging social norms is also revealed. The study advances understanding of the connection between personal and social identity and destination coolness. Implications for understanding youth travel motivations and the symbolic role of cool destinations in identity are presented.