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Yanolja Attractiveness Index

Yanolja Attractiveness Index

What is Tourism City Attractiveness?

The Yanolja Attractiveness Index (Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index) is a measurement tool developed by Yanolja Research in collaboration with Purdue University’s CHRIBA Institute and Kyung Hee University’s H&T Analytics Center. It quantifies the overall appeal of cities as tourist destinations by analyzing global social media data. What sets this index apart is its integration of two core dimensions: emotional attractiveness (how positively tourists perceive a city) and cognitive reputation (how well-known or prominent the city is among global audiences).

Tourism city attractiveness is understood as a psychological-cognitive composite—comprising tourists’ affective responses and their awareness or recognition of a destination. In essence, it aims to answer two interrelated questions: “Do tourists feel positively about this city?” and “How prominently is this city recognized as a tourist destination?” Both dimensions jointly shape tourist decision-making.

(1) Push-Pull Motivation Framework (Dann, 1977; Crompton, 1979)

The Push-Pull framework serves as a classic model for understanding why people travel and how they choose destinations. Push factors are internal and psychological: the desire to escape, self-actualize, relieve stress, or gain new experiences. Pull factors, on the other hand, are external attributes of the destination—scenery, culture, safety, entertainment, or ease of transportation—that draw tourists in.

Within this framework, the concept of attractiveness serves as a critical link. A destination’s appeal influences both the initial travel motivation (push) and the final destination choice (pull). For example, a traveler who desires a relaxing break (push) may be drawn to a quiet coastal town known for beautiful sunsets and low crowd levels (pull). Thus, attractiveness is a mediator that connects the tourist's internal drive to the external qualities of the city.

Tourist
Motivation
Theory
  • Push factor

    • Refers to internal psychological and social needs—such as escaping daily life, self-fulfillment, new experiences, learning, and stress relief—that motivate a person to travel

  • Pull factor

    • Involves external attributes of a destination—such as natural scenery, cultural heritage, shopping, safety, and convenient transportation—that influence the choice of where to travel

B. Destination Image Theory

Destination Image Theory(Gartner, 1994; Chi & Qu, 2008) provides another foundational pillar. According to this theory, a destination’s attractiveness is shaped by two interrelated constructs:


  • Cognitive Image: Tourists’ rational evaluation of a city’s attributes—like historical landmarks, food, safety, and infrastructure.

  • Affective Image: Emotional responses—such as feelings of excitement, pleasure, serenity, or vibrancy—evoked by the destination.


A city’s image is not just about what it offers, but also about how it makes people feel. For example, the Eiffel Tower (cognitive) and the romantic ambiance of Paris (affective) together form a compelling tourism image. The Yanolja Index separates and measures both dimensions to form a holistic and data-driven assessment of attractiveness.

Destination
Attractiveness
    1. Cognitive Dimension

      • Tourists’ perceptions of a city’s physical and functional attributes—such as natural scenery, cultural heritage, amenities, safety, and transportation accessibility (Chi & Qu, 2008)

    1. Affective Dimension

      • Emotional responses or the overall affective image evoked by the city, including feelings of vibrancy, pleasantness, and excitement (MacKay & Fesenmaier, 1997)

Comparison with Existing Concepts

(1) Tourism Competitiveness


Tourism competitiveness generally refers to how well a destination is prepared to attract and accommodate tourists. It is evaluated based on infrastructural, environmental, and policy-based criteria—focusing on the supply side. The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) is a typical example, evaluating factors like air connectivity, tourist services, and safety.


In contrast, tourism attractiveness is about the demand side. It measures how tourists feel about and perceive a destination. A city may score high in competitiveness (i.e., strong infrastructure and resources) but still be considered unattractive by tourists if it lacks emotional appeal or distinctive experiences. Conversely, a city with modest infrastructure might be perceived as highly attractive due to its cultural uniqueness or emotional resonance.


(2) Destination Brand Image


Destination brand image refers to the strategic image a destination attempts to convey through marketing—such as slogans, visuals, and symbolic icons. While it shares similarities with the concept of attractiveness, especially in cognitive and emotional components, it originates from the supplier’s (DMO’s) intention to shape perception.


Attractiveness, on the other hand, emerges from actual traveler experience and social sentiment. The gap between the official brand image and the organically perceived attractiveness (e.g., via online reviews and social media sentiment) can reveal valuable insights for policymakers and marketers.

How Attractiveness and Reputation Operate in Tourists’ Minds

The Yanolja Index emphasizes two psychological and cognitive mechanisms:


  • Attractiveness generates positive emotions (joy, curiosity, awe) and leads to stronger intentions to visit, satisfaction, and destination loyalty. Tourists with a high affective evaluation are more likely to recommend or return.

  • Reputation> (or fame/popularity) activates cognitive shortcuts. Well-known destinations benefit from the "social proof" phenomenon—people tend to trust and follow the choices of others. Repeated exposure (mere exposure effect) also increases familiarity and preference.


While attractiveness pulls the heart, reputation influences the mind. Together, they affect how tourists form attitudes, make choices, and share their experiences.

Conceptual Framework: A Push-Pull Model of Tourism City Attractiveness

Based on the above theories, the following model describes the psychological mechanism behind tourism city attractiveness:


1. Push Factors (internal motivations) → stimulate the desire to travel
2. Pull Factors (external features) → inform destination selection.
3. Tourist Perceptions → shaped by both emotional attractiveness and cognitive reputation.
4. Behavioral Outcomes → decisions to visit, satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.


A city perceived as both emotionally attractive and widely recognized is more likely to be selected, revisited, and recommended—contributing to a virtuous cycle of brand equity and tourism development

Structure of the Yanolja Attractiveness Index

The Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index, developed by Yanolja Research, is based on the above framework and consists of two components: the emotional factor of ‘Attractiveness’ and the cognitive factor of ‘Reputation’. Here, attractiveness refers to how positively tourists perceive a particular city, while reputation indicates how widely known and recognized the city is among tourists.

Affective
Attractiveness
Cognitive
Reputation
Tourism City
Attractiveness

  • Reflects the extent to which tourists evaluate a particular city positively

  • Incorporates a qualitative approach using sentiment analysis to capture tourists’ emotional responses and perceived value

  • Indicates how widely recognized and prominent a city is among tourists

  • The accumulated popularity of a city is also regarded as an integral aspect of its perceived attractiveness

A composite of psychological and cognitive factors that influence tourists’ destination choice

The first component of Tourism City Attractiveness—attractiveness—is a comprehensive concept that encompasses various dimensions of tourism, including the quality of tourism content and services. Based on a review of prior research and expert opinions, Yanolja Research has conceptualized attractiveness as comprising four key dimensions:


  • · Urban Aesthetics and Natural Scenery

  • · Culture and History

  • · Experiential Tourism Contents

  • · Hospitality


Each of these dimensions is grounded in both tourists’ psychological motivations (push factors) and the city’s inherent pull attributes (pull factors), thereby offering a practical framework that bridges theories of tourist behavior and destination marketing strategy.

Dimension Sub-Dimension Association with Push/Pull Factors
Urban Aesthetics and Natural Scenery Climate, natural scenery, flora and fauna, unique natural phenomena Push factor :Associated with visual satisfaction, immersion, and the desire for recover
Pull factor :The natural landscape itself
Culture and History Historical sites, educational sites, traditional culture,
architectural/aesthetic places, religious attractions		 Push factor :Desire for self-fulfillment and learning motivation
Pull factor :Cultural heritage itself
Experiential Tourism
Contents		 Food, accommodations, shopping, amusement parks, nightlife, sports,
activities, festivals/events		 Push factor :Escaping daily life, seeking stimulation and enjoyment
Pull factor :Entertainment itself
Hospitality Kindness of service providers, friendliness of local residents, attitude of
customs/immigration officers		 Pull factor : Services and general hospitality

Each dimension is structured by sub-dimensions, which in turn are represented by sets of keywords that most accurately capture their characteristics. These keyword sets serve as the basis for collecting social media data used in measuring attractiveness indices.

Tourism City
Attractiveness
  • Dimension
    Sub-
    Dimension
    Keywords
    1. 1. Urban Aesthetics and
      Natural Scenery

    2. Unique natural features and scenic landscapes—such as mountains, coastlines, and valleys—that are accessible within or near urban settings

    3. 1-1. Natural scenery and phenomena
      1-2. Flora and fauna
    4. keywords
    1. 2. Culture and History

    2. The historical background and cultural identity unique to the city, expressed through heritage sites, traditional cultural practices, religious structures, and historically significant architectural styles

    3. 2-1. Historical sites
      2-2. Educational sites
      2-3. Traditional culture
      2-4. Religious attractions
      2-5. Architectural/aesthetic places
    4. keywords
    1. 3. Experiential Tourism
      Contents

    2. The diversity of leisure activities and entertainment options available within the city, including amusement parks, festivals, sports, night views, nightlife, and various recreational experiences

    3. 3-1. Food
      3-2. Accommoda
      3-3. Shopping
      3-4. Amusement
      parks
      3-5. Nightlife
      3-6. Sports
      3-7. Activities
      3-8. Festivals/events
    4. keywords
    1. 4. Hospitality

    2. The city's image as perceived through the attitudes, responsiveness, and friendliness of public and private service providers, as well as local residents encountered at airports, tourist attractions, and other key locations

    3. 4-1. Friendliness of local residents
      4-2. Kindness of service providers
    4. keywords
Dimension Sub-Dimension Keyword Examples
Urban Aesthetics and Natural Scenery Natural scenery and phenomena Mountain, ocean, valley
Flora and fauna Zoo, safari, aquatic animal, forest
Culture and History Historical sites Ancient city, heritage site, palace
Educational sites Museum, art gallery
Traditional culture Traditional dance, clothing, craft
Religious attractions Temple, cathedral, pilgrimage path
Architectural/aesthetic places Monument, fountain, statue
Experiential Tourism Contents Food Local food, street food, restaurant
Accommodations Hotel, guesthouse, resort
Shopping Shopping mall, traditional market, duty-free shop
Amusement parks Universal Studio, Disneyland, water park
Nightlife Club, bar, pub house
Sports Football, basketball, baseball
Activities Bungee jumping, Paragliding
Festivals/events Concert, parade
Hospitality Friendliness of local residents Local residents’ attitude, emotional distance, welcoming atmosphere
Kindness of service providers Immigration screening, restaurant staff, accommodation service
Significance of Index Development and Ranking Evaluation

The development of the Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index holds the following significance:


First, this index serves as a comprehensive evaluation system encompassing diverse tourism contents such as natural landscapes, historical and cultural heritage, arts, festivals, shopping, and entertainment. By providing assessment results across multiple dimensions, it enables the quantification and comparison of the overall value of tourism city experiences.


Second, by applying consistent evaluation criteria to 191 cities, the index allows for the identification of each city’s distinctive strengths and its relative position. Tourism cities can use the index as a foundational reference for strategic planning and global market positioning.


Third, the index reflects the collective perception of global and multicultural tourism demand by analyzing social media data from platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. This enables a data-driven understanding of how cities are perceived by international audiences.


Fourth, the index is published annually, allowing for the accumulation and tracking of changes in global tourism attractiveness over time.


From an academic perspective, the development of this index contributes to expanding the field of tourism behavior and destination evaluation research. From an industry standpoint, it provides practical value for marketing strategy, policy formulation, and business innovation. Ultimately, the index is expected to enhance differentiated experiences for tourists and contribute to the sustainable growth and global competitiveness of the tourism industry.

Expected Academic Contributions
Contribution to the theoretical advancement of destination choice models

The attractiveness of tourism cities plays a decisive role in tourists' decision-making processes. It provides a theoretical framework for exploring the interactions among destination image, emotional attachment, and behavioral intention.


An integrated evaluation tool bridging the gap between objective data and subjective perception

While traditional tourism performance indicators (e.g., number of visitors, economic revenue) have focused on quantitative outcomes, the Attractiveness Index emphasizes qualitative aspects such as tourists’ psychological experiences.

This comprehensive and multidimensional evaluation model contributes to methodological innovation in destination research and can serve as a foundation for developing new theoretical frameworks and measurement tools in the future.

Expected Industry Contributions
Provides a foundation for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and policymakers to precisely identify the strengths and weaknesses of each city's attractiveness factors

For instance, if a city excels in natural landscapes but lacks cultural content, the index can inform strategies focused on developing cultural assets. This enables more targeted planning and allocation of resources based on evidence.


Supports the prioritization and evaluation of policy effectiveness by national and local governments

The index can be used to monitor the outcomes of policies related to tourism infrastructure development, city branding, and environmental preservation. It also allows decision-makers to incorporate feedback from tourists’ perspectives into future planning.

At the national level, the index offers a tool for assessing a country’s competitive position in the global tourism market and for developing strategic roadmaps to enhance international tourism inflows.