Online tourist image on Instagram. Study case: Obcina Mare, Suceava

doi:10.26565/2076-1333-2025-39-06

Teodora-Georgiana Mihaila Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Carol I Boulevard No. 20A, Romania https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2234-8716
Oana-Mihaela Stoleriu Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Carol I Boulevard No. 20A, Romania https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7877-0924

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26565/2076-1333-2025-39-06

Keywords: Instagram, tourism, Romania, social media, posts analysis, gender analysis

Abstract

During the past decades tourism has evolved, and along with it also the technology. So, it makes only sense to be studied together. The present study focuses on the online Instagram image of Obcina Mare, an area located in northern Romania, known for its UNESCO monasteries and long-living traditions, also popular as a tourist destination. As the area was not studied before under the lens of Instagram, the present study does that, with an emphasis on gender representation.

A thorough literature review on the subject of Instagram tourism was made, revealing the scattered research that is present so far as regards spatial coverage of the study area and several other in terms of areas studied, as well as the effect of Instagram in tourism being intense and profound. The methodology included manually retrieving 564 Instagram posts with hashtags associated with Obcina Mare and its compound localities, including the geotag, images, post description, hashtags used and engagement metrics for each of them. The results show tourists that come mostly from Romania, but also from other countries worldwide, three main concentration areas along the area, a focus on monasteries when it comes to the text posted, yet more general when it comes to the images along, as well as a less gendered content. Practical implications include, but are not limited to the stakeholders taking advantage on these results for a better view of the tourism in Obcina Mare, along with targeted promotion and marketing campaigns taking into account social media as well. Future studies should imply expanding the scale of analysis and with automated methods for an easier analysis of more posts.

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Author Biographies

Teodora-Georgiana Mihaila, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Carol I Boulevard No. 20A, Romania

PhD Student, Faculty of Geography and Geology

Oana-Mihaela Stoleriu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Carol I Boulevard No. 20A, Romania

PhD, University Lecturer, Faculty of Geography and Geology

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