Surviving from the craze: Short video marketing on digital footprint in Yongxing Square in Xi’an

The popularity of short videos in recent years has provided a new path for destination image construction and marketing, which is highly sought after by local governments and destination marketing organizations. However, as a relatively novel product, the effectiveness of short video marketing for destinations is under-researched. This article aims to study the changes in the tourism spatial structure of destinations promoted by visitor-initiated TikTok videos in the case of Yongxing Square in Xi’an, China. The tourist flow indicated the life cycle of short videos and the visitor psychology behind this phenomenon. Social network analysis and text analysis were used to investigate a series of travelogues containing online short video content from 2017 to 2019, following the trend of TikTok heat at the site. The results show that the status of Yongxing Square went through a life cycle of “initial, development, cooling-off, and consolidation.” During this period, the video-induced trend appeared to transform the site between a “video-gimmick” and its basic function as a food court for visitors. The analytical findings bridge the knowledge gap about the actual practice and effect of short videos in a tourist attraction.