The Research on the Digital Transition of the Tourism Media

-- Taking Lonely Planet as Example

Abstract

Social media also experienced transitions from paper material to digital forms. In the previous years of the COVID outbreak, a particular part of social media---tourism, has been affected and is worth paying attention to. Lonely Planet (abbreviated as LP) is one of the most famous tourism media brands, previous researches have shown its development or transitions during the pandemic. Through using surveys, questionnaires and interviews, this research aims at investigating the strategy of LP for digital transition over the pandemic period, which could be applied for other media companies as an inspiration. The result from surveying LP in a chronicle order suggests negative impacts the COVID has on the business, while the transition of the company is spontaneous, also containing positive potentials for LP to get recovered or developed. Researchers receive 107 participants about their attitudes and understandings toward the transition of travel media and pandemic effects, and it shows the majority of audience focus on convenience of the journalist media, and most of them are optimistic about the digital transition of traditional media, agreeing with the statement that digital media would receive a wider audience, which indicates a benefit in digital transition. Two interviews are also carried out with loyal fans of Lonely Planet. The interviewees are used to reading printed material and are convinced that COVID affected traditional media use. However, they agree that digital platforms would not completely replace the traditional media in Lonely Planet’s case, presenting a surprising point of view.