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Exploring theme park discourse: Meaning making in visitors' online reviews
Author(s)
Date Issued
2025
Publisher
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Description
127 pages
Type
Thesis
Programme
Master of Philosophy in English
Abstract
The present study draws on an extensive dataset of 1,057 authentic online reviews of Hong Kong Ocean Park collected from popular travel platforms between 2012 and 2024. These reviews capture diverse visitor experiences, attitudes, and language use, providing a rich resource for analyzing visitor feedback and perceptions relevant to the park’s tourism performance. Using a genre-based approach within the systemic functional linguistics (SFL) framework, focusing on generic stages and structural patterns in the reviews in relation to visitors’ attitudes and collective identities. The results suggested that both Hong Kong locals and non-local visitors move through similar generic stages in their reviews, but they differ in their openings and summarizations due to variations in motivations and language features. Additionally, visitors tend to primarily express their feelings and attitudes through appreciation resources, especially within the reaction subcategory, followed by affect and judgement resources, which are used less often. Locals and non-locals differ in their comments regarding staff service, admission prices, and available facilities. Particularly, non-local visitors often mention their disappointment with attractions being closed and the limited English proficiency of staff members, which are issues that are absent in local visitors’ reviews. In addition, non-local visitors praise Ocean Park’s unique features, such as the sea view during the cable car ride, its distinctive Hong Kong-style designs, and the opportunity to see both land and marine animals within a single theme park. Furthermore, the present study identified shared memories, family connections, and community bonds as crucial factors shaping the collective identities of visitors. It thereby extends the theoretical discussion on identity formation in theme park tourism and offers insights into lexicogrammatical realizations, helping the theme park tourism industry enhance tourists’ experiences.
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232702M.pdf
Size
2.36 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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