Italy continues to be an authentic and memorable country where travellers still want to return for holidays. However, not only for food and wine, art & culture or fashion, shopping & design. There is a potential that is yet to be exploited to increase the average stay, to seasonally adjust the flow of tourists and to improve the quality of the visitor’s experience to Italy.

1. Destination Monitor /2
Visitors’ opinions and trends during
MTM XI - Final project

2. 1. Evaluate the perceptions of Italy by Italian and foreign visitors to Milan during
Expo :
• 1.145 tourist interviews
• Analysis of Images posted by tourists on social media during Expo
2. Provide useful guidelines on how to design and develop tourism offers after Expo
3. Lay the basis for a permanent innovative system of monitoring tourist demand
for tourism operators and institutions
Destination Monitor (DM)
2
Objectives

3. The MTM project contributes to preliminary data collection and analysis of 2 sources of the DM
with the aim of providing guidelines for an extensive implementation of the DM
3
1.Face to face
interviews with 1.145
tourists in Milan in in
the month of June
2. Exploratory analysis
of visual content on
Instagram
MTM Project – Contribution to DM

4. The exploratory analysis, carried out by the students of MTM 11 under the supervision of the
lecturers of the course “Social media marketing” (Profs. Gretzel e Dinhopl, Queensland University),
aims to:
1) Verify the potential of the methodology for analysis of the visual content on social media for
the Destination Monitor.
2) Formulate hypotheses for an extensive study of:
• The perception of specific segments of visitors on the experience of visiting Milan and Italy.
• The relationship between the image communicated by the destination and that
perceived by tourists.
3) Formulate preliminary guidelines for effective communication action in terms of engagement
for foreign tourists.
Exploratory Analysis Objectives

5. Research Questions
• What are the characteristics of the photos posted on Instagram profiles by foreign
tourists in Milan?
• What differences are there between the photos posted on Explora and those on
personal Instagram profiles?
• What hypotheses emerge for future research which can guide the actions of
destination managers and tourist organizations to increase the engagement of
visitors?
The leading questions of the exploratory analysis are as follows:

6. Methodology
Phase 1: Convenience sampling
• 30 of the most recent photos of Milan with #expo2015 posted by foreign tourists*:
from Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Kuwait, Malaysia,
Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, UAE (Dubai)
*excluding professional photographers, communication agencies, tourist agencies and TO
• 30 of the most recent photos of Milan with #wonderfulexpo2015
Phase 2: Analysis
• Content analysis : number, type, features of the elements present in each photo
Elements of compositional analysis: colors, positions, relevance of the elements present
in each photo.

7. Variables Values
Time Day; night; undefined
Environment Inside; outside; not specific
Location Identifiable; not identifiable; added in #/description; not added in #/description
Focus Entirety; detailed
Building Duomo; Sforzesco Castle; Unicredit tower; Pirellone; Aria and Solaria towers
Place Piazza San Babila; Navigli; Piazza Duomo; Vittorio Emanuele Gallery; hotel;
restaurant/bar; disco; public garden Indro Montanelli; Metropolitan Market
Top attractions Yes ; No
Food Pizza; coffee; ice cream
Brand Italian; Foreign
People 1 person; 2 people; crowd
Gender Male; female; undefined
Face Visibility Yes; no
Activities Eating; jumping; walking; standing/seating
Color Black & brown; blue; white & grey; red; green; orange & yellow
Selfie Yes; no
Distance Focus on foreground; focus on background; not specific
Methodology – Variables for Tourist photo analysis

8. Variables Values
Time Day; night; undefined
Environment Inside; outside; not specific
Location Identifiable; no identifiable; added in #/description; not added in #/description
Focus Entirety; detailed; collage
Nature Sky / Clouds / Trees / Flowers-Plants / Sea / Lake / Mountain / Hills / Wood / Rocks / Beach / Canal /
Waves / Cliffs / River / Sun
Place Lignagno Sabbia d’Oro / Bologna / Milan / Liguria / Officine del volo / Turin / Varese / Lake Maggiore /
Cividale / Expo 2015 / Varigotti / Fisherman’s Island / Bergamo / Friuli Venezia Giulia / Tellaro / Vicolo
Lavandai Naviglio / Sacile / Laux lake / Piedmont / Trieste / Lombardia / Genova / Brescia / Gnome’s
wood / Piazza Gae Aulenti / Sirmione / Breno / Duino / Orta San Giulio / Friulian Dolomites
Buldings Statue / Parigi Palace / Venaria Palace / Villa Panza / Borromeo Palace / Boschi House / Expo
Pavilions / Bell Tower / Church / Bridge / Houses / Pirellone tower / Unicredit tower / Castle / Arch /
Courtyard /
Food (pasta) Lasagna / Canonsei / Trofie and Gnocchi al pesto / Tarajin with truffle / Cjarson
Significant objects Chairs / Table / Candles / Beach umbrella / Beach chair / Airplane / Window / Flag / Spoon / Boat /
Wooden pillar / Street light / Cars
People Few people; crowd
Colors Black-Brown / Blue / White-Grey / Red / Green / Orange-Yellow
Text Yes; no
Distance Focus on foreground; focus on background; not specific
Methodology – Variables for Explora photo analysis

9. Observations on photos posted by tourists (Sample 1)
Results

10. Results
• Italian cuisine is the focus of attention for tourists;
however, in Milan, the main focus is on the usual well-
known elements (pizza, ice cream, coffee) with no
reference to typical Milanese specialties.
• When present, food is the center of attention in the
photo. We find people eating in only one of the images.
FOOD AND WINE IS A
RECOGNISED ASSET, BUT
STEREOTYPES PREVAIL
• The Cathedral is the most represented icon; but the
new skyscrapers in Milan have also become places of
interest for foreign tourists.
• The Docks and the Metropolitan Market are present,
but as places of lesser interest.
• The buildings are almost always represented from the
outside; very few details of the interiors are shown.
NEW LOCATIONS IN THE CITY
SHOULD BE PROMOTED
BESIDES THE TRADITIONAL
ICONS ALONG WITH
EXPLANATIONS THAT
MOTIVATE TOURISTS TO
ENTER THE BUILDINGS.
Obsevations on the photos by tourists (Sample 1)

11. • When people appear in the photos, they are
usually single or as a couple.
• In most of these photos, specific details of the
individuals are featured.
INDIVIDUALS AND COUPLES
NEVER GROUPS
• In photos with people and buildings, the focus is
on the people with little attention to the fact that
the monument is fully visible in the shot.
• The persons posting the photo want to share
everything they are doing and their whereabouts.
FOCUS ON PEOPLE,
PLACES IN THE
BACKGROUND
• No filters are used
• Natural light predominates
• Blue and grey are the predominant colors (sky, buildings
and clouds)
NATURAL EFFECT,
BLUE AND GREY
CHARACTERIZE MILAN
Results
Obsevations on the photos posted by tourists (Sample 1)

12. Results
Observations on photos posted by Explora (Sample 2)

13. • Prevalence of Italian landscapes (sky, water, clouds
and trees) along with images of Lombardy and Milan
• Most of the photos are, therefore, are taken outside
• Grey and blue are the dominant colours
FOCUS ON LANDSCAPES
BROAD PERSPECTIVE AS
OPPOSED TO DETAILS
• Most of the places represented are not identifiable,
especially by foreign tourists, but the name is always
shown in the description
• Only 1/3 of the photos analyzed depict details of the
location and over half do not have a specific focus (in
the foreground or the background)
• 6 out of 30 photos are a collage of different images
Results
Observations on photos posted by Explora (Sample 2)

14. • Most of the photos are taken by professionals
• The images are very bright with extensive use of
filters
• 80% of the photos are taken in daylight
REFINED LIGHTING EFFECT
• Hardly any trace of human elements
• Very little space dedicated to the variety of
regional foods (pasta in only two photos)
LESS ATTENTION GIVEN TO
FOOD AND PEOPLE
Results
Obsevations on photos posted by Explora (Sample 2)

15. Indications and preliminary hypotheses
Improve fine-tuning with tourists concerning communication on social media
• Food and wine is an interesting theme for tourists, but the focus is still on stereotypes.
Tourist comunication should emphasize the variety of regional cuisines by posting
photos in tune with the awareness/perceptions of tourists (e.g. detailed photos of a
typical dish)
• Cultural heritage as well as historical and contemporay buildings are interesting for
visitors; however, it is also important to set the camera on people
• Milan has recognizable iconic places, but there is great potential for promoting new
places of attraction that tourists have already reported spontaneuosly
• The quality of the photos is important, but posting less artificial and studied photos
would be more in tune with the sensations of the tourists

16. Some further considerations based on international best practices
1. Frequently re-post followers’ contents to emphasize the interaction between the DMO and the users
2. Create story telling in every photo album; also itinaries in regional territories, rather than in only one
specific place
3. Create specific # for food,
monuments, places, events and use
them on specific days of the week on
different days each week: for example
on Monday
@wonderfulfoodLombardia,
on Friday#wonderfuleventLiguria…
4. Create #recipes linked to the
theme of Expo 2015
These indications are activated by more advanced destinations in their communication on
social media (e.g. Australia)
Preliminary guidelines and hypotheses