A study on measuring the gap between projected image and perceived image of inbound tourism in Kyoto, Japan

Abstract

The image of a tourist destination is considered essential when making a choice. This paper aims to examine the consistency or gap between the projected and perceived images of Kyoto as a tourist destination, based on Official-generated content （OGC） and Tourist-generated content （TGC）. OGC includes information derived from the official websites of Japan National Tourism Organization （JNTO） and Destination Management Organizations （DMOs）, while TGC consists of online reviews written in English by inbound tourists who visited Kyoto's top 20 attractions, published from January 2018 to August 2024. This study focuses on two primary aspects: firstly, high-frequency terms were identified and categorized into six dimensions based on cognitive-affective factors, assessing the gap between projected and perceived images within each dimension; secondly, Sentiment Analysis was conducted to obtain three dimensions and measure the gap in each dimension. The results reveal distinct gaps in both aspects. Regarding cognitive-affective factors, the largest gap was found in leisure activities, followed by natural resources and cultural resources, highlighting an asymmetry between official website content and tourists' perceptions. In Sentiment Analysis, neutral sentiment displayed the largest gap. Moreover, both projected and perceived images contained negative elements. Mitigating these negative sentiments and bridging these gaps in each dimension will be crucial for sustainable development within tourist destinations.