Open AccessVisualising natural attractions within national parks: Preferences of tourists for photographs with different visual characteristics
Author(s) -
Lei Zhu,
Lloyd S. Davis,
Anna Carr
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0252661
Subject(s) - attractiveness , appeal , national park , natural (archaeology) , interpretation (philosophy) , quality (philosophy) , geography , visual methods , psychology , visual arts , computer science , art , archaeology , political science , philosophy , epistemology , psychoanalysis , law , programming language
To explore what types of photographs are more helpful means to interpret natural attractions within national parks, this study focused on the relationship between the photographs with different visual characteristics and their perceived visual appeal. A photograph-based Q method was adopted. Results confirmed the visual quality of a photograph was the most important characteristic that determined its perceived attractiveness; those photographs with a high visual quality could successfully attract tourists’ attention. The subject also significantly affected the preferences of observers, suggesting an interest-dependent pattern. Using photographs of birds as examples, the participants who were interested in birds were attracted by the photographs of birds rather than those of other subjects. This study provides a better understanding of the effectiveness of photographs for communication. Findings may help researchers, communicators and national park marketers better understand and select appropriate photographs for interpretation within national parks.