Cultural Intermediaries and Cosmopolitans: A Netnographic Study of Chinese Travel Bloggers

Abstract

This article analyzes the symbolic power and locations of travel bloggers in the global cultural economy by linking the theories and approaches of cultural intermediaries, cosmopolitanism and tourist studies. Drawing on netnographic methodology and narrative analysis of Chinese social media accounts, this article further examines how travel bloggers convert world landscapes and self-presentations into mediascapes providing consumable content as well as life-styles for local audiences. A Chinese perspective is contributed by having the discussion connecting travel with other mobilities. We propose that the travel bloggers and their productions are the evidence of cultural traveling and transformation.