Travelers’ sharing behaviors on the internet: Case of Taiwan - Theory and Practice in Hospitality and Tourism Research - page 325

When I post travel photos online, I record what I see,
eat, and experience. I feel my friends are joining me
in the trip and we are traveling together when they
follow my blog (Informant K)

as everything of the hotel room on my blog. But I
spent a lot of money (Informant B)

Urry and Larsen (2011) indicated people con-
sumed for a short period because they are sup-
posedly generating pleasurable experiences which
differ from those typically encountered in everyday
life. The other informant said much the same:

Indeed, the online sharing behaviors of travelers
tighten the social relations with friends. Travelers
experiment with technology to engage in new mobile
lifestyles, establish new ties to certain spaces and
places, and navigate new modes of co-presence with
friends and family members while on the road and
far away (Vertovec, 2004). During physical travel,
mediated communication serves as “social glue”.
Travel photos on the Internet are not only
online diaries, but also virtual sites that mediate
and mobile and great social interaction (Molz,
2012). When travelers post their travel experiences
on blogs and social media while traveling and fur-
ther develop social relations and networks through
online sharing, they constitute a kind of it can be
interactive travel. According to Urry (2007), such
interactions produce and shape the contours of
mobile social life: the corporeal travel of people;
the physical movement of objects; imaginative
travel enabled by various media; virtual travel; and
communicative travel. Travelers keep construct-
ing their traveling memories and documenting
the places they visited in a way that conveys the
essence of tourist experiences.

Normally, I have to work. When I am on vacation or
holiday, I absolutely enjoyed the moments. I shared
my travel story and photos online to provide evidence
that I was on vacation and stayed in a perfect hotel,
ate exotic cuisine. I was on vacation, and you had to
work (Informant X)

Some of the informants in this study post travel
photos of luxurious and expensive forms of con-
sumption, such as eating in a highly-rated Michelin
restaurant, collecting special souvenirs, or availing
themselves of remarkable forms of transportation,
etc. A female informant explained:

I like to post what I bought during or after traveling,
such as souvenirs, post cards, local special snack and
so forth. One thought is show off, the other thought
is to check what I bought .

4.3 Identity formation
Travel experiences are not simply a description of
self, but a construction of one's identity. Accord-
ing to Nardi, Schiano, and Gumbrecht (2004, p.
223), bloggers reach out “to connect with and
insert themselves into the virtual space of others in
their personal social networks”. Nardi et al. (2004,
p. 224) further explain that” blogs create the audi-
ence, but the audience also create the blogs”. One
interviewee's statement echoed this perspective and
stated:

4.2 Conspicuous consumptions
Travel is a very conspicuous behavior when
traveling experiences are shared online. As one
informant said:

I want to share experiences with others about where
I went and what I ate. Actually, I just want to show
off (Informant D)

Veblen (1912) argues that conspicuous consump-
tion is a quality of slaves and livestock, while lei-
sure is social signal and means of displaying one's
elevated status. Leisure is a strategy for obtaining
respect from others, and a form of psychological
displacement. As one informant explained:

I like to reply comments or messages on my blog.
When my friends or others leave message for me
such as praising my photographic skills (e.g., your
photography skills is very good, your photos compo-
sitions are professional), these messages inspire me
to take lots of photos and post them on my blog more
often (Informant M)

My traveling experience is unique. I go to a lot of des-
tinations around the world. I post photos taken from
different angles on my blog although I went to the
same destinations as my friends did (Informant I)

And the other female informant pointed:

I like to check message from my Facebook, and I
reply the questions that left on my Facebook. When I
answered or solved friends' questions, I thought I am
a wonderful person (Informant Y)

Another informant pointed out:

One of my friends really show off. She stayed at a
five-star hotel when she visited Hong Kong. When
I visited Hong Kong, I chose a six-star hotel, and
posted photos of the interior view, facilities, as well

By replying to messages on the blog, the travelers'
social identity is converted into self-identity and a
form of circulation. The Internet affords a com-