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Yanolja Attractiveness Index

Yanolja Attractiveness Index

Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index by Yanolja Research

The Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index, developed by Yanolja Research in collaboration with Purdue University CHRIBA and Kyung Hee University Center for H&T Analytics, is an evaluative tool designed to objectively measure the attractiveness of global tourism cities based on social data analysis. This index assesses tourists' cognitive and emotional evaluations of cities to quantify their overall appeal. Tourism City Attractiveness refers to a multifaceted concept encompassing the psychological and cognitive factors that influence a tourist’s decision to visit a particular city. The psychological dimension—termed Attractiveness—captures tourists’ emotional responses and perceived value of a city, reflecting how positively they view the destination. The cognitive dimension—referred to as Reputation—relates to how widely recognized and prominent the city is in the context of tourism. By integrating these two components, the index enables an objective measurement of how attractive each city is as a tourism destination and facilitates cross-city comparisons through a quantifiable metric.

Theoretical Background of Tourism City Attractiveness

The conceptual foundation of this index draws from the classical tourism motivation theory known as the Push-Pull Framework (Dann, 1977; Crompton, 1979). According to this framework, travel motivation comprises push factors, which drive individuals to travel (i.e., reasons for travel), and pull factors, which influence the choice of destination (i.e., where to travel). Within this context, attractiveness plays a pivotal role in generating travel motivation by serving as a core element in both the decision to travel and the selection of a specific destination.

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

According to Destination Image Theory, destination attractiveness is defined as the overall sum of a destination’s cognitive and affective attributes that influence a tourist’s decision to visit. This concept encompasses not only the tangible tourism resources a city possesses but also the image perceived and emotionally experienced by tourists. As such, it is regarded as a psychological construct that reflects both the perception and affective responses of tourists toward the destination.

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)

Although numerous prior studies—such as those grounded in Tourist Behavior Theory and Tourist Experience Theory—have explored the concept of destination attractiveness, there remains a lack of consensus on a concrete and operationalized definition of the term itself. In response, Yanolja Research aims to conceptualize Tourism City Attractiveness through a comprehensive review of the literature and to implement it in the form of a quantifiable index.


Structure of the Yanolja Attractiveness Index

The Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index, developed by Yanolja Research, is grounded in Destination Image Theory and the Push-Pull Framework of tourism motivation. The index comprises two primary components:


  • · Attractiveness, representing the affective dimension, refers to the degree to which tourists evaluate a city positively.

  • · Reputation, reflecting the cognitive dimension, indicates how widely recognized and prominent the city is among tourists.


By combining these two elements, the index provides a comprehensive and measurable representation of a city’s overall tourism appeal.

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.