Typological framework for motivations of digital nomads as gentrifiers in a small city: A case study of Dali, China

Exploring the motivations of digital nomads as gentrifiers in small cities provides a fresh perspective to bridge the urban-rural dichotomy prevalent in the gentrification literature. Using Dali, China as a case study, this study deconstructs the motivations and underlying hierarchical structure of digital nomads as gentrifiers using the means-end chain (MEC) approach based on 41 soft laddering interviews. The findings suggest that the behavioral motivations of digital nomads to gentrify Dali are fundamentally based on existential authenticity, which can be categorized into three groups: wellness-oriented motivations, communitas-oriented motivations, and liberalism-oriented motivations. A typological framework based on two dimensions of mobility and abstraction hierarchy is constructed to understand the nuances and salient aspects of gentrifier motivation. This study balances the conventional wisdom that gentrifiers' need for social status and distinction is what drives gentrification. Practical insights are also offered into the sustainable destination construction and decision-making of digital nomads.