Faculty of Organisation and Management

BSc (Honours) Tourism Management

Title File-induced tourism in Asia: A case study of Taiwanese television drama and Hong Kong adult’s viewers’ motivation to visit

Name Chan Po Kei

Student No 91203295

Month Year April 2009

Sheffield Hallam University

Faculty of Organisation and Management

Title File-induced tourism in Asia: A case study of Taiwanese television drama and Hong Kong adult’s viewers’ motivation to visit Taiwan

FULL NAME Chan Po Kei

STUDENT No 91203295

Supervisor: Dr. Connie Mok

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management.

Month Year April 2009 Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my dissertation supervisor, Dr.

Connie Mok for her guidance, patience and valuable advice given during the whole process of completing this study. I become relaxed and confident of my dissertation after she shared her self-experience and expression to me.

I am pleased with the support and encouragement of my family and friends. I would like to thank Pako, Nick, Yan, Redness, Karen, William, Mayumi, Tracy and Gary.

I would also like to thank every participant of the focus groups. They provided useful and valuable information and ideas for the primary research. Abstract

It is believed that films or television dramas might have an impact on tourism by encouraging tourists to visit the places or attractions which were screened (Riley and

Van Doren 1992, Busby and Klug 2001). Although there has been an increasing trend of tourism research about film-induced tourism, its focus was mostly on specific sites in western countries. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of

Taiwanese TV drama on Hong Kong young adult viewers’ motivation to visit Taiwan.

This article examines how emotion and experiences in watching Taiwanese TV dramas/series motivate viewers to visit Taiwan, and explores the influence of

Taiwanese TV dramas on destination image of Taiwan as well as destination choices of tourists through the focus group interviews with viewers raging from 20 to 29 years old. A total of 16 participants were divided into two focus groups based on their experiences in visiting Taiwan. The results demonstrate that the primary pull factor of beautiful scenery portrayed in the TV dramas is usually combined with the push factor of desire to confirm the landscapes and attractions that one watched in the TV dramas. This paper concludes that Taiwanese TV dramas can be one of the sources to influence the image of Taiwan and increase the familiarity and interests of Hong

Kong young adults in visiting Taiwan. Table of Contents Page

Acknowledgments vi

Abstract vii

Table of Contents viii

List of Tables x

List of Abbreviations Used xi

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Focus of the Study 1

1.2 Background Information of Tourism Promotion in Taiwan 2

1.3 Aim and Objectives 4

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Destination Image 6

2.2 Motivations for Travel to Screened Locations 6

2.3 Film-induced Tourism 8

2.4 Film-induced Tourism in Western Countries 12

2.5 Film-induced Tourism in Asian Countries 15

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design 17 3.2 Information Collection 20

3.3 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Research 21

3.4 Limitations of the Research 21

CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Results 24

4.2 Discussion 45

4.2.1 Effects of Taiwanese TV Dramas on Travel Motivation...... 45

4.2.2 Influence of Taiwanese TV dramas on Destination Image and Travel

Decision ...... 48

4.2.3 Tour Experiences and Viewing of Taiwanese TV Dramas ...... 49

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 50

References 53

Last Page 63

List of Tables Page

Table 1 Characteristics of focus Groups 18

List of Abbreviations Used

KTO Korea Tourism Organization

TTB Taiwan Tourism Bureau

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Focus of the Study

Film-induced tourism (which was also known as movie-induced tourism) was a growing worldwide phenomenon in recent years. It received an increased attention in the academic literature and also from the tourism operators since it could provide benefits to screened locations (Riley & Van Doren 1992). The influence of the power of film and television on consumer’s choice and preference of a travel destination was recognized by researchers through this phenomenon (Busby and Klug 2001,

Iwashita 2003). New Zealand was one of the examples of film-induced tourism as the filming locations like The Lord of the Rings and The Last Samurai were promoted as the features on the Tourism New Zealand tourist website (Croy 2004).

Although there was an increasing tourism research about film-induced tourism, it was mostly focused on specific sites in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand

(Riley and Van Doren 1992, Riley, Baker and Van Doren 1998, Busby and Klug 2001,

Beeton 2005). There was little research about the phenomenon and the filming locations in Asia. Thus, the present study hopes to observe the film-induced tourism in Asian region through a case study of Taiwanese television drama and its influence on Hong Kong young adult viewers to travel Taiwan.

1.2 Background Information of Tourism Promotion in Taiwan

In Asia, Taiwan is one of the popular short-haul tourist destinations today. According to the monthly statistics over the year 2008 by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB)

(2009a), there was a total of 3,845,187 visitors travelling to Taiwan from January to

December. Compared with the 3,716,063 visitors for the same period in 2007, the number of visitor arrivals was increased by 129,124 or 3.47%. Japan was the first largest source market to Taiwan tourism followed by Hong Kong and Macau with

1,086,691 of the total visitor arrivals. However, the number of tourists from Japan was decreased by 6.83% against the period in 2007 while that of Hong Kong and

Macau was increased by 25.89 %, which was the highest growth rate of visitor arrivals.

The TTB has begun to invite the celebrities as the spokesperson/ambassador for promoting Taiwan tourism since 2004 (Taiwan Visitors Association 2009). The popular singer A-mei Chang Hui-mei was the first spokesperson to promote the country throughout the Southeast Asia region for three years. The number of visitor arrivals from the Southeast Asia was then increased from 630,000 to 760,000 from

2003 to 2006. Subsequently, another popular singer Yi-lin and a film director Nien-Jen Wu took over the position from A-mei to promote the “2008-2009

Tour Taiwan Years” campaign in the region in 2007. The number of visitor arrivals from the region was also increased by 100,000 (Taiwan Visitors Association 2009).

On the other hand, the members of famous Taiwanese boy band F4 (newly known as

JVKV) were appointed as the ambassadors under the “Wish to See You in Taiwan” campaign in 2007 to promote Taiwan tourism in Japan and Korea, since their first television drama Meteor Garden was very popular in those countries. During the promotion, two F4 international fans meetings were held by the TTB at the National

Taiwan University Gymnasium. 5000 Japanese and Korean fans were attracted to

Taiwan by each meeting and brought in over NT$ 100 million in tourist revenue.

There were a total of 1,166,380 and 225,814 visitors arriving Taiwan from Japan and

Korea in 2007 respectively. The number of visitor arrivals from Korea was increased by 15.06% (Taiwan Visitors Association 2009). In addition, two members of F4, Ken

Chu and Vic Chou participated in a Taiwanese TV drama Wish to See You Again which was first sponsored by the TTB in order to promote eight famous tourist attractions in Taiwan. A “Wish to See You Again” Taiwan sightseeing passport has been created by the TTB (2009b) to combine the places screened in the TV drama as the travel routes. In 2008, another boy band Fahrenheit was chosen as the new ambassador to promote Taiwan tourism in Japan and Korea continuously since the

TV drama Hanazakarino Kimitachihe starring Chun Wu and was famous in those countries. Fahrenheit was formed by Jiro Wang, Arron Yan, Calvin and

Chun Wu, who made their debut also in a TV series like F4 in 2005. They were appointed to attract the Japanese and Korean tourists of different age groups to

Taiwan (Taiwan Visitors Association 2009).

Apart from using the tourism ambassadors, the TTB has begun to promote tourism and develop the image of Taiwan by movies or TV dramas because of the success of other countries like the United Kingdom and Korea. The latest example was the film

Cape No.7 which attracted a larger number of visitors to the filming site, Hengchun

(Taiwan Visitors Association 2009).

1.3 Aim and Objectives

This study aims to investigate the effects of Taiwanese TV drama on Hong Kong young adult viewers’ motivation to visit Taiwan. The focus of this study is young adults in Hong Kong because the main market segment from Hong Kong and Macau to Taiwan was the travellers who aged between 20 and 29. According to the statistics by the TTB (2009a), the visitors aged 20 to 29 from Hong Kong and Macau represented 151,915 or 24.56% of the total of 618,667 in 2008, followed by the visitors aged 30-39, which was 132,877 or 21.48%.

More specifically, this study aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. To examine how the Hong Kong young adult viewers are motivated to visit

Taiwan by their emotion and experiences in watching Taiwanese TV drama;

2. To assess how the TV dramas from Taiwan influence the destination image of

Taiwan and the destination choices of tourists; and

3. To explore how the holiday experience of Hong Kong young adults in Taiwan

influence their subsequent consumption of Taiwanese TV drama. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Destination Image

Destination image was generally defined as “the sum of beliefs, ideas and impressions that a person has of a destination” (Crompton 1979, p18). Baloglu (1999) distinguished destination image into two components which were affective image

(feelings) and cognitive image (beliefs). The effects of film-induced tourism on destination image were discussed subsequently by Kim and Richardson (2003). They investigated the influences of a popular movie on viewers’ perception of the places where the movie was filmed, as well as their familiarity and interest in visiting certain destinations by applying the two components of destination image as mentioned by

Baloglu (1999). The conclusion made by Kim and Richardson (2003) was that a movie could influence the image of a place and the interest of audiences in visiting a place.

2.2 Motivations for Travel to Screened Locations

Iso-Ahola’s (1982) created a social psychological model of tourism motivation to explain the travel motivation by tourist behaviour. It explained that people were motivated to travel by the desire to escape from one’s routine personal/interpersonal environment while seeking personal/interpersonal rewards in another environment

(Iso-Ahola 1983). Singh and Best (2004) applied this model in their study to investigate the tourists’ motivation to visit the screened location of The Lord of the

Rings in Hobbiton in New Zealand. The result showed that most of the respondents were motivated to visit Hobbiton by the desire to experience and admire the iconic attractions in The Lord of the Rings, and especially the natural scenery in Hobbiton.

Singh and Best (2004) determined that the reasons for travel to Hobbiton by the respondents were mostly corresponded to the dimension of seeking personal rewards in the Iso-Ahola’s (1983) theory, rather than escaping from personal/interpersonal problems in their original environment. In addition, Dann’s

(1977) push and pull factor theory was regarded as the most appropriate theory to explain visitors’ motivation to visit a filming location (Riley and Van Doren 1992,

Macionis 2004). Macionis (2004) used Dann’s (1977) framework to explain tourists’ motivation to visit film sites in her study. It was stated that pull factors were used to attract tourists to a destination while push factors were referred to the tourists and their internal drive leading to action (Dann 1977). In the study of Macionis (2004), she distinguished the pull factors in film-induced tourism between three concepts which were Place, Performance and Personality. 1) Place was referred to the characteristics of the film location like beautiful scenery and landscapes; 2) Performance was referred to the plot, storylines, themes and genres of the film; and

3) Personality was referred to the characters of the film or the stars and celebrities who played the roles. Besides, Macionis (2004) also identified three types of film- induced tourists on a continuum to show the increasing interest in film and the increasing self-actualization motivations as the push factors. These three types of film-induced tourists were: a) the Specific Film Tourist, who sought out the destinations they had seen in a film purposely; b) General Film Tourist, who did not visit the film locations purposely but were curious to visit those destinations or join the film tourism activities; and c) the Serendipitous Film Tourist, who just happened to be in the destination screened in a film.

2.3 Film-induced Tourism

The number of academic research about film-induced tourism has been increased since 1990. Riley and Van Doren (1992) suggested that movies had the power to influence and even ‘pull’ visitors to a travel destination. Thus, movies could be used as an effective tool for destination promotion by developing the new image of a tourist destination. When places or attractions were used to shoot in films or television drama series, the films or television programs might have an impact on tourism by encouraging tourists to visit the film locations (Beeton 2001, Riley and Van Doren 1992, Busby and Klug 2001). In the exploration of Jewell and McKinnon

(2008), film-induced tourism created a new form of cultural landscape which was the interaction between and evolution of a society’s internal and external economic, social and cultural aspects, influenced by the physical opportunities and/or constraints of natural environment as per United Nations Educational, Scientific &

Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s definition. Basically, a film or movie itself did not intend to induce people to visit the filming locations. However, the major shots and pictures of a film were able to enhance the awareness and appeal of those locations.

A tourist would have an imagination and anticipation to visit the sites filmed on a screen (Riley et al. 1998). According to Busby & Klug (2001, p316), film-induced tourism was defined as “tourist visits to a destination or attraction as a result of the destination being featured on television, video or the cinema screen”. In a latest study (Iwashita 2008), it was stated that the relationship between tourism and film created new forms of cultural tourism which were ‘film-induced tourism’ (Beeton

2005), ‘movie-induced tourism’ (Riley et al. 1998), and ‘media-related tourism’ (Busby and Klug 2001, p316). Iwashita (2008) grouped these new forms of tourism as

‘popular media-induced tourism’ which was described as tourists visiting a destination or place which had strong associations or connections with films and television programs. Therefore, popular media-induced tourism involved places or film locations (both real and fictional) which were popularized or promoted as a travel destination by popular media like television dramas and films. Beeton (2005, p9) analyzed that “the term ‘movie-induced tourism’ relates to on-location tourism that follows the success of a movie made (or set) in a particular region. By using the term

‘film-induced tourism’, this can be expanded to include television, video and DVD.”

For a deeper research, Beeton (2005) explored more about the recognition of the role that film played in tourists’ motivation and behaviour to a place. It was believed that the development of a country’s identity, image and cultural representations would be traced through popular films and television series if such influences could be acknowledged. In fact, the popularity of certain movies and television series had increased the tourist visitation to the sites featured and been used to encourage repeat visitors. Furthermore, those films and TV series had created a variety of niche tourism which was operated based on the storyline, characteristic spots and cultural aspects of such media representations. Beeton (2005) expressed that film-induced tourism could apply to a visit to sites where movies and TV programs had been filmed and also the tours to production studios and film-related theme parks.

Moreover, Riley and Van Doren (1992, p268) identified motion pictures as ‘hallmark event’ which was defined by Ritchie as “Major one-time or recurring events of limited duration developed to primarily enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a destination in the short and/or long term. These events rely for their success on uniqueness, status, or timely significance to create interest and attract attention”.

However, Beeton (2005) argued that there were some weaknesses in their concept since films were not primarily developed to enhance the destination or bring tourists to a place, which was the primary goal of hallmark events. Thus, she stated that film was likely to be described as a promotional means which was similar to a brochure or television advertisement rather than a hallmark event.

Though economic windfalls were created by the increased tourism at some locations, safety concerns and overcrowding were caused at other places (Riley et al. 1998).

The residents (community) were not prepared for the influx of visitors or for their continuous curiosity in most case. Beeton (2000) supported that an influx of visitors was not always welcome or advantageous. Many country towns were unsuitable to support the sudden tourism growth due to limited infrastructure, facilities and services.

The local community did not seek to be the site for filming in some cases, since they might need to cope with the consequences of increased traffic, crowding and pollution.

2.4 Film-induced Tourism in Western Countries

According to the research of Riley and Van Doren (1992), they gathered data for some film locations in the United States that had experienced a significant increase in the number of tourists after they were screened in the movies. The most impressive evidence of visitors increase was provided by the film Close Encounters which was released in 1977. Tooke and Baker (1996) presented the influence of TV series on the British tourism industry as a result of analyzing data from the visits of tourists to four filming locations. The data was obtained from the filming sites of the

TV series To the Manor Born, By the Sword Divided, Middlemarch and Heartbeat.

The positive impacts of films on the screening cities and towns, as well as the negative impacts of increased tourism were discussed, such as pedestrian congestion, traffic and commercialization (Tooke and Baker 1996). Some researchers stated that literary places were part of the cultural landscape of heritage tourism. It was recognized that a movie based on a novel could raise awareness to the public of a country or more specifically a city or town (Squire 1996, Herbert 2001).

According to Jewell and McKinnon (2008), Heath expressed that the films The Lord of the Rings trilogy was an appropriate example which created a specific film-induced tourism industry for New Zealand, thought it was based on an imaginary Middle Earth.

Because of the high number of tourists visiting New Zealand to experience the scenery portrayed in the trilogy, there were various tours developed to cater for over

150 locations utilized specifically. In the study of Singh and Best (2004), they examined the motivations of visitors to the Hobbiton Movie Set as featured in The

Lord of the Rings in Matamata, which was located on the New Zealand’s North Island.

Their conclusion showed that either visual or thematic iconic attractions within The

Lord of the Rings were the reason for visit from the respondents. A desire to experience the natural scenery of the Hobbiton Movie Set was the most popular motive. In a recent research (Iwashita 2008), a case study of Japanese international tourism to the UK was conducted. It was found that the respondents’ interest in visiting or revisiting the UK for a holiday was increased by the exposure to films and

TV dramas featuring the UK. The respondents derived the awareness and images of the UK, and its national character from those media at different levels of consciousness. Iwashita (2008) argued that films and TV dramas played an important role in influencing viewers’ images of the UK compared with other influences as for instance, the government marketing initiatives. Her findings also showed that the majority of respondents realized the destinations or attractions associated with the films or TV dramas in the UK and had visited those filming locations. Iwashita (2008, p151) concluded that “films and television dramas can act as visual, verbal, and sensory stimuli to induce tourism, assisting tourists in their decision-making processes over the long-term”. According to the research of Im and

Chon (2008), they discovered that the film The Sound of Music was the most effective information source to induce tourists to Salzburg followed by tour guidebooks and travel agencies. The attractions which the respondents wanted to visit most were the film locations of The Sound of Music, castles and fortresses, mountains, lakes or parks and Mozart House. About the influence of The Sound of music on travel decisions, the results provided by Im and Chon (2008) showed that the movie did influence the decision level of respondents in visiting Salzburg and also increase their interest to revisit Salzburg in the future. Especially, the study (Im and

Chon 2008) suggested that those who had seen the film were more likely to be induced to visit the film locations than those who had not seen the film. 2.5 Film-induced Tourism in Asian Countries

In the past few years, there was an increased number of academic literature about film-induced tourism in Korea (Chan 2007, Han and Lee 2008, Kim, Agrusa, Chon and Cho 2008). According to Han and Lee (2008), Im was an earlier researcher who indicated the effects of films/dramas on tourism in Korea were increased with the growing ‘Hallyu’ phenomenon. ‘Hallyu’ or the ‘Korean Wave’ was defined by the

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) as the phenomenon of Korean pop culture such as movies, TV dramas and pop music that were being shared widely among the people of Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other areas in Asia. The word ‘Hallyu’ was called by the Chinese mass media in 1999 initially. The KTO developed the ‘Korean

Wave’ campaign in 2004 to promote Korea to other countries and hence stimulating its tourism industry. Chan (2007) studied the effects of Korean TV drama on the motivation of Singaporean women to visit Korea due to the popularity of ‘Hallyu’. The findings demonstrated that a majority of the interviewees were attracted by the beautiful scenery portrayed in the Korean TV dramas whether they had visited Korea or not. It was the main pull factor to motivate the Singaporean women to travel Korea.

Korean TV dramas/movies were also the most influential factor that would attract

Hong Kong residents to Korea as reported by Kim et al. (2008). Most of the respondents were attracted by the Korean food which depicted in the TV series Daejanggeum. Apart from Korea, Warnick, Bojanic and Siriangkul (2005) conducted a study to investigate the effects of a movie The Beach on the image of Thailand among student travellers in the Untied States. However, the results suggested that it did not induce travel to Thailand by seeing a film. The college students described that viewing a movie did not consider as an important factor to encourage them to visit the filming location. It did not lead to an increased likelihood to visit Thailand.

Nevertheless, the findings of Warnick et al. (2005) did support the aspects of cognitive and affective image change. The specific scenes and storyline of a film could affect the viewer’s image and perception of a destination portrayed in it.

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

A qualitative study using focus groups was carried out to investigate the effects of

Taiwanese TV drama on Hong Kong young adult viewers’ motivation to visit Taiwan.

3.1 Research Design

Two focus group meetings were carried out to collect information about the relationship between Taiwanese TV drama and the motivation of Hong Kong young adult viewers to visit Taiwan. The focus group participants were the Hong Kong young adults ranging from 20 to 29 years old and had watched the Taiwanese TV drama for more than one year. Focus group formation was on voluntary basis from different backgrounds. Some were post-secondary or university students and some were full-time workers. They were invited to join the focus groups at the popular online discussion forums in Hong Kong, which were Uwants.com and Hong Kong

Discuss Forum. Announcements were posted on the discussion threads related to the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, Taiwanese TV drama and travel to

Taiwan to invite the volunteers to participate in the focus groups. These two focus groups were segmented based on the participants’ experiences in visiting Taiwan to help the moderator to organize the information easily, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Characteristics of focus Groups

Focus Group Experience in visiting Taiwan No. of Participants Male Female Total

Focus Group 1 (FG1) Have visited Taiwan for holiday 3 5 8

Focus Group 2 (FG2) Have never visited Taiwan 2 6 8

Both the focus groups were formed by the mixture of participants from different genders and occupations. Thus, those participants could represent the young adults from different backgrounds. In fact, the number of male participants was less than the female participants as the males might not be interested to join the focus groups and exchanged their opinions with others.

Each focus group discussion lasted between one hour and one and half hours.

During the focus group interview, the moderator asked the participants to explain the reasons and passion for watching Taiwanese TV dramas. They also expressed their perception of Taiwanese culture. In the second section of the focus group discussion, participants exchanged their experiences in Taiwan, their motivations to visit, whether they had visited any screened locations of the TV dramas, and the most memorable places during their trip to Taiwan. For the participants who had not been to Taiwan, the moderator asked them whether they felt like visiting Taiwan when they watched Taiwanese TV dramas, and what they would most like to see and do in

Taiwan if they had an opportunity to visit there. Based on the theoretical framework of Chan (2007), a set of questions were decided to achieve the study objectives:

1) Why do you like watching Taiwanese TV dramas?

2) What is your perception of Taiwanese culture?

3) What was your idea of Taiwan before your first trip to Taiwan? Where did you get this sort of idea?

4) Which places in Taiwan would you like to visit if you have the chance to go? 5)

Which attributes had motivated you to visit Taiwan? What was the purpose of visiting

Taiwan?

6) Had you felt like visiting Taiwan when you were watching Taiwanese TV dramas?

7) Was there any particular TV drama that made you really have that desire to go?

8) What were your holiday experiences?

9) Have you visited any filming locations of the TV dramas and how you felt when you were at the film sites?

10) What would you like to see and do most in Taiwan if you had a chance to visit the country/ the opportunity to go again? 11) Did the real Taiwan encounter during the holiday match your expectations prior to the trip?

12) Did your prior experiences in touring Taiwan influence you to watch Taiwanese

TV dramas?

3.2 Information Collection

The focus group discussions were voice recorded and transcribed. During the discussions, participants expressed their opinions or referred to the names of the TV dramas and actors in . The words and phrases in Cantonese were translated into English when quoting the participants in this study. The text of comments that generated from the participants was divided into two data sets: a) comments from participants who had visited Taiwan and b) comments from participants who had not been to Taiwan. All the names of the participants would be anonymous and replaced by participant A to P to protect their privacy. The first focus group discussion was held on 21 February 2009 at the Starbucks Coffee Shop in

Mongkok. The second focus group discussion was held on 25 February 2009 by a group chat via the Windows Live Messenger.

3.3 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Research

The usage of the focus group (qualitative method) was better than the quantitative method for this study, since it was more flexible to ask questions and easier to obtain more comprehensive data and insights. Furthermore, the participants would be able to generate more ideas by listening to others’ opinions. However, the transcription time would be long as the words and phrases in were required to be translated from

Cantonese into English. Besides, it was quite difficult to note down each one’s ideas smoothly.

3.4 Limitations of the Research

As the interviewees of the focus groups were not randomly selected, the scope of the focus group was restricted to the members of Uwants.com and Hong Kong Discuss

Forum. This excluded other young adults who had the similar interest in watching

Taiwanese TV drama or travelling to Taiwan. Moreover, the size of a focus group was too small to be a representative sample of a population. Therefore, the data received from the groups should not be taken as representing to the whole population of Hong Kong young adults who liked Taiwanese TV drama.

Furthermore, it was time consuming to find the right candidates to form the focus groups and communicate with them subsequently. Since the participants had different backgrounds and might not know each other, a lot of time was also needed to accommodate their schedules to get them together. Besides, the researcher was inexperienced and untrained to be the moderator to organize and control the focus group discussions. The discussion process might be not efficient, and the data was difficult to analyze as the conversation was in reaction to the comments of other group members.

On the other hand, there were some restrictions of holding a focus group discussion.

The selection of venue for discussion was important since Nielson (1997) stated that it would be difficult in seating all the participants down at one time. The venue should be at a good condition where comfortable atmosphere and enough security could be provided to carry out the discussion and keep privacy. Otherwise, the participants might easily be disturbed by the poor condition and surrounding environment of the venue.

Another restriction of holding the discussions was to manage the smooth flow and relevance of the discussion. According to Nielson (1997), the moderator needed to keep the discussion on the right track without hindering the flow of ideas and comments expressed by the participants. Consequently, the moderator had to ensure that all the participants can contribute to the discussion and avoid domination by one participant. CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Results

A total of 16 young adults took part in the two focus groups equally. The participants of focus group 1 (FG1) had visited Taiwan whereas the participants of focus group 2

(FG2) had not. Both the focus groups were formed by the mixture of students and working adults with different genders. However, the number of female participants was more than the male participants. All the participants of FG1 travelled to Taiwan after they began to watch Taiwanese TV dramas. To protect the identities of the participants, all the names of the participants were replaced by participant A to P

(participant A to H were represented as the participants of FG1 while participant I to

P were represented as the participants of FG2). Twelve questions were asked but the participants of FG2 were only suitable to answer six of them.

Question 1: Why do you like watching Taiwanese TV dramas?

Almost all the participants liked watching Taiwanese TV dramas as the actors and actress looked good and the stories were romantic comedy. Some of them were recommended by their friends.

Participant A: My friends recommended me to watch Taiwanese TV dramas in the beginning. Then, I felt the stories of the TV dramas were interesting and some of my favourite artists played a role in the dramas, such as Rainnie Yeung, Joseph Cheng, Jiro Wang and Chun Wu.

B: I think it is a trend just like the influences of Japanese TV dramas and Korean TV dramas in Hong Kong before. Many actors and actresses are young idols. Some of the stories of Taiwanese TV dramas are funny and entertaining with love and happiness. The film shooting method is quite different from the Japanese and Korean.

C: I like watching Taiwanese TV dramas due to the actors and actresses too. The roles and stories are more attractive than those of Hong Kong. The characters of the TV dramas are positive and optimistic.

D: I like the stories of the TV dramas which were mostly adapted from the Japanese comic books. Besides, I was affected by the stories and the characters easily since I understand the Mandarin.

E: I love Taiwan very much. I love the celebrities in Taiwan so much. They are more attractive than the celebrities in Hong Kong.

F: I consider watching a TV drama because of its story, characters and word-of- mouth. If the characters of the TV drama are my favourite actors or actresses, I will watch it.

G: The story is attractive and the characters are so charming. The most important reason is that my favourite idols played the roles in the TV dramas. Therefore, it can make me concentrate on the plots more. The stories are different to those of the Hong Kong.

H: I liked watching the Taiwanese television entertainment programmes in the beginning. I admired some of the artists and began to watch the TV dramas. The number of actors and actresses in Taiwan is higher than those of Hong Kong. I think the Hong Kong actors and actresses and TV dramas were boring.

I: Many popular idols and the stories fit the thinking of the young adults. I love the theme songs very much. It is just like a trend.

J: Good word-of-mouth of my friends and the charming characters. Hong Kong TV dramas are boring.

K: Taiwanese TV dramas are more attractive than those of Hong Kong. The actors and actresses are more charming. I feel the Hong Kong TV dramas are boring by the repetition. Furthermore, I understand the Mandarin so that I do not need to read the subtitles.

L: My favourite stars are playing the roles of the characters and the story is funny and attractive. M: The actors are smart and the actresses are pretty. The stories of Taiwanese TV dramas are more attractive than those of Hong Kong with fantasy and imagination.

N: I can learn Mandarin. The characters and stories are attractive and entertaining. There is a lot of beautiful scenery in the TV dramas.

O: I was affected by friends and the stars.

P: My friends recommended me and the stories and scenes are attractive.

Question 2: What is your perception of Taiwanese culture? Participant A: I think Taiwan is a nice place and the citizens are united. The daily life of residents in the southern part is different from the northern part of Taiwan. However, both of them have a sense of belonging to Taiwan. Besides, the food of Taiwan is quite famous.

B: It is similar to Japan as it was colonized by Japan in the past. The Taiwanese like the Japanese culture so much. It seems that Taiwan is more modern than Mainland China. When I was watching the TV dramas, I found that I had to do some thinking for their conservations sometimes.

C: I feel that the Taiwanese have a positive attitude. Everyone is devoted to his/her job. They seem to have a strong feeling of brotherhood with others.

D: There are many local snacks. I feel that the Taiwanese love Japanese culture too.

E: I think Taiwan is a place with less technology but full of traditional customs. However, Hong Kong is more modern than Taiwan.

F: Taiwanese are passionate and polite. However, it seems that there is sex discrimination in Taiwan. It is not an advanced place. I feel that it is a comfortable place with no stress.

G: I think Taiwan has its own traditions and local customs.

H: Although the political situation of Taiwan was unstable, I think there is freedom of speech in Taiwan. I like the education in Taiwan because there are many choices of subject.

I: It is an island with strong nativism and traditions. People always speak the Taiwanese language. There are many betel nut girls. Taiwanese adore the Japanese culture.

J: Taiwanese are more courteous and open than Hong Kong people.

K: After watching the Taiwanese TV dramas, I think the life in Taiwan is simpler than this in Hong Kong.

L: Some of the products and architectures have the Japanese style and people are friendly.

M: People seem very passionate and friendly.

N: Taiwan is uncivilized. The life is simple. There are many rural areas and countryside with different cultures.

O: The life in Taiwan is slower-paced.

P: I agree with Participant O. There is a lot of local cuisine.

A majority of participants thought that Taiwan was a nice and relaxed place where people were friendly and passionate. Especially, they felt that Taiwan was similar to

Japan and the Taiwanese liked the Japanese culture so much.

Question 3: What was your idea of Taiwan before your first trip to Taiwan? Where did you get this sort of idea?

Half of the participants felt that Taiwan was like the Mainland China before their first trip to Taiwan. There was a lot of food and snacks depicted in the TV dramas and entertainment programmes. However, several of them reported that Taiwan was boring with less entertainment by the word-of-mouth of their friends. Participant A: I admired the photos of Taiwan from my friends before I travelled to Taiwan. I thought that Taiwan was different to Hong Kong. It was not a modern place with many tall buildings and commercial business. My impression of Taiwan was like a semi- developed country. Moreover, Taiwanese TV dramas gave me some other ideas of Taiwan unlike the photos I saw. Since the film locations might be the places where my friends had not been to, I could discover the different appearances of Taiwan.

B: Before my first trip to Taiwan, somebody told me that Taiwan was boring if I stayed there for eight days. There was a lot of food but less entertainment.

C: I felt that the Taiwanese were very courteous and hospitable when I was booking the hostel before the trip. They provided quality service to you even though they had low wages.

D: I read the news and knew that the political environment in Taiwan was unstable. However, it was a place full of happiness and enjoyment. There were many comics and fine dishes. I learnt them from the magazines and TV programmes.

E: I thought that Taiwan was like the Mainland China with many rural areas. I read the travel guide book and knew that there were various kinds of attractions in Taiwan. There were many natural resources, cuisine, sun and beaches. The scenes portrayed in the TV dramas were very beautiful. F: There were many local snacks that portrayed in the Taiwanese entertainment programmes. There were many rural areas where I will not travel to. However, I was interested in those areas after the promotion from the programmes. In addition, I was afraid of the Taiwanese because I did not know whether they were nice or not. I always read the news and knew that they always protested against something and fought with others.

G: I thought that Taiwan was like the Mainland China. The political situation of Taiwan gave me a bad impression.

H: My friends told me that there was only food but no special features in Taiwan before my first trip. It was enough to visit Taiwan just once. Taiwan was like the Mainland China.

Question 4: Which places in Taiwan would you like to visit if you have the chance to go?

Participant A: I want to visit , Keelung, Kenting and Alishan. I want to visit Alishan because it is opposite to Taipei with less people. I can relax myself and relieve my stress there. Besides, I want to enjoy the sun and beach in Kenting.

B: I would like to go to Taichung and Tainan. I desire to visit Kenting and Danshui to admire the scenery.

C: I would like to visit Kenting too. I want to go there for diving. Besides, I would like to visit Keelung and for sightseeing.

D: I want to visit Tainan as I travelled to Taipei every time. I hope to experience the different cultures in Taiwan, for instance, the Taiwanese Aborigines. I would like to try on their costume and dance with them.

E: Kenting and Taipei. The scenery and homestay accommodation are beautiful in Kenting. I liked shopping and eating the local snacks in Taipei.

F: I would like to visit the farms, outlying islands and rural areas. I would like to admire the scenery and landscapes in Penghu, Kenting, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Ilan and Green Island. I want to visit Kenting due to the film Cape No.7.

G: I would like to go to Hualien since my friend’s family has opened a home stay accommodation there.

H: I would like to visit the Wuling Farm to admire the cherry blossom and star in the sky. I also want to admire the night view of Yangmingshan. Besides, I hope to visit Alishan, Sun Moon Lake and Yushan.

I: Shopping and eating in Ximending, Shilin Night Market, Taipei Raohe Street Night Market, Sun Moon Lake, Danshui, Taipei 101, Bitan because of It started with a Kiss and the Office of the President.

J: The night markets in Taipei, Chiufen and Kenting.

K: I want to admire the view of Chiufen and taste the food, Tainan and Taipei.

L: Ximending, Shilin Night Market, Taipei 101 and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Stage by Show Luo and the Eslite Bookstore.

M: Ximending, Kenting, Kaohsiung and Taichung. They are recommended by friends and TV dramas.

N: Taipei is a must-see destination. Kenting, Tainan and Taichung. I want to travel the whole island to discover the different cultures and life styles actually.

O: Tainan and Kenting.

P: The countryside and Chuifen.

A large proportion of participants would like to visit Kenting and Tainan which were the popular travel destinations in Taiwan recently. Meanwhile, most of them still wanted to visit Taipei, the major travel destination in Taiwan.

Question 5: Which attributes had motivated you to visit Taiwan? What was the purpose of visiting Taiwan?

Participant A: I travelled to Taiwan for leisure. I decided to visit Taiwan as the expenses of transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment there were affordable. Furthermore, it was easy to communicate with the Taiwanese with a little Mandarin.

B: I was motivated by my friends and the cheap air fare. In fact, there is no language barrier to communication in Taiwan as we speak the similar language. I went to Taiwan for travel.

C: Actually, the prices of air tickets and accommodations were quite cheap at that time. A group of friends desired to go to Taiwan for leisure. Last time, I travelled Taiwan in order to forget the sadness of my work and love problem.

D: The comics and food. No communication barrier. Besides, I have a friend in Taiwan. Therefore, I travelled to Taiwan for leisure and also visiting her.

E: The attractions and foods in Taiwan were always promoted by the Taiwanese TV programmes. I thought they were very attractive. Besides, the Taiwanese speak Mandarin so that I can communicate with them. The price to travel Taiwan was not expensive. Thus, Taiwan is a good place for travel.

F: The first time visited Taiwan because I had never been there. I participated in the activities of my favourite idol, Danson Tang. I also visited my friends in Taiwan. I like eating very much, the local snacks in the night markets were very attractive. I can go shopping in Taiwan and the goods are inexpensive. It can fulfil my desire to purchase.

G: I was motivated to visit Taiwan by my favourite idols, the delicious foods, inexpensive goods, various attractions and the feeling of relaxation.

H: I love the artists, food and places in Taiwan. I travelled to Taiwan for relaxation and excitement. I hope to live in Taiwan. The main purposes of visiting Taiwan were travel and visiting friends. Nevertheless, I travelled Taiwan with different purposes for each trip. The first trip to Taiwan was after watching Devil Beside You. After that, I purposed to visit Taiwan to celebrate my birthday, escape from the unhappiness in Hong Kong and see a concert.

All the participants travelled to Taiwan for leisure and relaxation. Three of them travelled Taiwan to visit their friends too. Particularly, two of them visited Taiwan in order to escape from the lives in Hong Kong. Most of the participants were motivated to visit Taiwan by the inexpensive air fares and tasty food. Some of them were motivated by their friends and favourite idols.

Question 6: Had you felt like visiting Taiwan when you were watching Taiwanese TV dramas? Participant A: Yes. As some of the TV dramas were filmed at the places with beautiful scenery, I would like to visit those places when I was watching the scenes. Actually, I wanted to visit Taiwan for a long time, so the motivation to visit Taiwan was increased after watching the TV dramas.

B: A little bit. I think it is not the main factor to influence me to go to Taiwan, but I would like to go to the locations when I saw the peaceful landscape from the TV dramas.

C: Sure. I thought that some of the filming locations were very special. Nevertheless, it might be difficult for travellers to find those places they want to visit.

D: Of course. I liked to go to the attractions or places when I had seen the pictures of the TV dramas. I also asked my friend about those places after watching the TV dramas.

E: The TV dramas have influenced me to visit some filming locations. I wanted to experience those places.

F: If the scenes of the TV dramas were impressive and attractive to me, I had the desire to visit there.

G: Yes, of course. I would like to visit and discover the filming locations. H: Oh, yes. The filming locations like homestay accommodations and farms influenced me to visit those places. They were really very beautiful.

I: Yes. I thought that I would have fun and relaxation in the filming locations.

J: I was attracted by the cuisine showed in the TV dramas. I hope I will go there and taste the food.

K: I felt like travelling to Taiwan. Furthermore, Taiwan is always promoted by the TV travel programmes which makes me have more desire to go there.

L: I was attracted by the entertainment and tasty food.

M: The filming locations are very beautiful. I would like to visit the places where the characters were born.

N: Absolutely. When I watched the views and attractions in the TV dramas, I was motivated to visit there.

O: The beautiful scenes in the TV dramas make me longing to visit Taiwan so much.

P: I would like to visit the rural areas and countryside depicted in the TV dramas.

All of the participants said that they felt like visiting Taiwan and the filming locations when they were watching TV dramas. They stated that TV dramas have enhanced their desires to visit Taiwan. Most of them were attracted by the beautiful scenery and landscapes portrayed in the TV dramas. A few of them were attracted by the cuisine.

Question 7: Was there any particular TV drama that made you really have that desire to go?

Participant A: Wayward Kenting, the sun and beach and blue sky were so attractive.

B: No, I have no idea.

C: Yes. I liked the actress Winnie Zheng of Pretty Ugly very much. She made me longing to go to Taiwan. I want to visit Gaomei Wetland which was screened in this TV drama. I also want to travel to Keelung, Yang Ming Shan and Pingtung.

D: I desired to go to the P.S. Bu Bu Restaurant in Tianmu when I was watching Meteor Garden. It was very interesting because the theme of the restaurant is cars. Furthermore, I liked to visit Kenting when I was watching Wayward Kenting. The landscape and views in Kenting are very beautiful.

E: The views of Kenting in Cape No.7 were so charming. However, it is a film not a TV drama. Apart from that, I felt that the filming locations of Hanazakarino Kimitachihe were also very attractive. I would like to visit all the places that screened in this TV drama. Besides, I got some pictures of Kenting from Wayward Kenting too.

F: When I was watching the TV dramas Why Why Love and It started with a Kiss, I wanted to go to the Miramar Entertainment Park and try the Ferris wheel immediately. Joseph Cheng and were very romantic on the Ferris wheel in It started with a Kiss. After seeing the film Secret starring , I desired to visit Danshui too.

G: I remembered that I was addicted to Taiwan after watching the TV drama Devil Beside You. Mike Ho was very attractive in this TV drama. I wanted to visit Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and Danshui that portrayed in Devil Beside You at that time.

H: Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and Taipei 101 that screened in Devil Beside You. Kenting in Wayward Kenting. The Jibei Island at Penghu in Love at Dolphin Bay. Besides, I love the film Cape No.7 so much. It influenced me to visit Tainan.

I: It started with a Kiss and , Hanazakarino Kimitachihe and Fate to Love You. The universities which the characters studied in the TV dramas. The house of Joseph Cheng and Ariel Lin lived in They Kiss Again. J: Oyster omelette Corner with Love I would like to know whether there is really an enormous house in Taiwan after watching Romantic Princess.

K: It started with a Kiss, Fate to Love You, Love or Bread and Miss No Good. I love the actors, actresses, theme songs and the filming locations so much. I want to admire the beautiful scenery and taste the delicious foods in order to know more about Taiwan. The prices of Taiwan are less expensive than those of Japan and other Asian countries.

L: The views and architectures portrayed in Meteor Garden. Hanazakarino Kimitachihe and Corner with Love.

M: Meteor Garden, the schools and houses were very beautiful. Corner with Love and The Prince Who Turns Into a Frog, the rural areas in Taiwan were beautiful too.

N: Hanazakarino Kimitachihe and They Kiss Again, Why Why Love and Devil Beside You. Taipei 101, night markets, Ferris wheel, Dream Mall, Danshui.

O: Devil Beside You and Love at Dolphin Bay

P: Corner with Love, Smiling Pasta and It started with a Kiss. I would like to go to the countryside portrayed in the dramas.

Only one participant did not state any particular TV drama but the others mentioned some. The TV dramas Meteor Garden, Wayward Kenting, It started with a Kiss, Devil

Beside You and Hanazakarino Kimitachihe were mentioned frequently by the participants. The participants would like to visit the places and attractions screened in the TV dramas such as Kenting, Danshui, Taipei 101, Miramar Entertainment Park and Ferris wheel and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi.

Question 8: What were your holiday experiences?

Participant A: It was the first time I visited Taiwan. I felt that the were very nice and helpful. I have experienced the local customs and mode of living in Taiwan.

B: Taiwan is a good place for food, sightseeing, fun and relaxation with inexpensive prices. You cannot explore the whole island only once. I like Taiwan so much because there are many attractive night markets. I like the Taiwanese cuisine. Moreover, the Taiwanese are very friendly. When I asked for directions, they were willing to help me.

C: The Taiwanese were so friendly. The staff of the youth hostel was active to communicate with their guests that made you feel like in a family. I thought that the Taiwanese concerned about customer satisfaction very much. I felt this positive manner in every industry.

D: I am an expert in Taipei now. I can find the directions easily since there are Chinese words everywhere. The transportation in Taiwan was convenient. As I had searched a lot of information about Taiwan before visiting there, it made me feel more convenient to travel the places I planned to go. I experienced that Taiwan is an exciting place where people were passionate and friendly. There were so many people in the night markets every night. Nevertheless, there were many dangerous motorbikes on the roads.

E: Excellent. The people of Taiwan were very nice and friendly. The scenery was very elegant. The quality of goods was excellent with inexpensive prices.

F: I thought that Ximending and Wufenpu in Taipei were the places I liked most. There are numerous shops to sell the trendy products. Besides, I felt that the Taiwanese were very passionate and helpful. Last time, my friend asked a policeman for directions, he answered us and took us to the shop ultimately. Moreover, the transportation in the rural areas was inconvenient. It was difficult to find a public transportation. Nevertheless, the people, landscapes, entertainment, foods and goods of Taiwan make me love Taiwan very much.

G: The most unforgettable experience was in Kenting. You will feel very comfortable and relaxed there. Besides, I liked to visit Dream Mall in Kaohsiung but did not like Chiufen. It was hard to walk up the road of the mountain. I think that it is better to travel Taiwan individually to explore the different faces of Taiwan.

H: I appreciated the services and I liked the Dream Mall very much. I thought it was the perfect shopping mall in Taiwan. I could stay in this shopping mall for a whole day. Especially, I admired the overview of Kaohsiung on the Ferris wheel at the top of the mall. It was very wonderful. The deepest memory in my mind was on the Lover Bridge in Danshui. I played the sparkles on the bridge at night and gazed the distant view. I saw different colours in different directions.

A majority of participants experienced that the Taiwanese were friendly, passionate and helpful. Some of them described that Taiwan was a lovely place for shopping, dining, sightseeing and relaxing.

Question 9: Have you visited any filming locations of the TV dramas and how you felt when you were at the film sites?

Almost all the participants had visited the filming locations. Half of them experienced strong emotions at the filming locations. They recalled the scenes in the TV dramas and imagined themselves as the characters of the TV dramas when they were at the sites or attractions.

Participant A: I did not check that because I only read the travel guide book and follow the ways which were recommended. I might have passed the filming locations throughout the journey.

B: I have visited Taipei 101. The night view there was very elegant. The docent was very nice and knowledgeable.

C: I travelled to Xi Men Ding and Leofoo Village Theme Park last time. However, I did not have special feelings about these sites. I only remembered that these were the filming locations of some TV dramas.

D: Yes. I have visited the P.S. Bu Bu Restaurant, Dao Ming Si’s garden which was screened in Meteor Garden. I have also visited the Taipei 101 which was shot in TV dramas frequently. I felt that I was in the world of Taiwanese TV dramas when I was at those sites. I felt like the character in the TV dramas and remembered the pictures and plots. I was excited to tell my friends that those were the filming location of some TV drama at that time. The P.S. Bu Bu Restaurant was really deep in my mind that I thought of F4 when I was at the restaurant. I visited Tianmu and this restaurant because of Meteor Garden.

E: I only remembered the Taipei 101 and Eluanbi Lighthouse in Kenting. It was really worth to visit these two attractions. The Eluanbi Lighthouse was very beautiful.

F: I have visited the Miramar Entertainment Park, Taipei 101, the Love Bridge at Danshui Fisherman’s Wharf and the Chinese restaurant which was screened in It started with a Kiss. I visited the kitchen of the Chinese restaurant and I felt like Ariel Lin in the TV drama.

G: Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and Danshui. I remembered that I was very excited and screamed when I saw the screened places in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi at the first time. I recalled the scenes of Devil Beside You and imagined that I was the actress in it.

H: I have visited Ximending, Xinyi District, Taipei 101 and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi. They were the famous filming locations in many TV dramas. I was very excited when I visited those sites the first time. I took the photos continually as I was affected by the TV dramas. I would recall the scenes of the TV dramas and self- intoxicated at the sites.

Question 10: What would you like to see and do most in Taiwan if you had a chance to visit the country/ the opportunity to go again?

Participant A: I would like to go to Kenting and admire the view. Last time, I planned to visit there but it was cancelled by the bad weather. Besides, the thing I would like to do most is to travel around the island of Taiwan. I hope to explore more about the different features and local customs of Taiwan and compare the food and entertainment of different places.

B: I would like to visit the television broadcast company to watch the live entertainment programmes and their making process. Besides, I want to go to the night markets again to taste the Taiwanese cuisine. I also want to go to the night clubs. C: I want to see my dream girl Winnie Zheng.

D: I would like to taste the food again. There are still many snacks and dishes I have not tasted. Meanwhile, I hope to see a concert at the Taipei Arena as I feel that this arena has a Japanese style. Besides, I really want to visit Tainan.

E: I want to go to the night markets to eat the Taiwanese local snacks again. Moreover, I would like to sing karaoke and see S.H.E.’s concert in Taiwan.

F: I would like to visit Pingsi to join the Taipei County Pingsi Sky Lantern Festival and go to the Yue Lao Temple. I love the Taiwanese food. I hope to live in Taiwan. I felt Taiwan was suitable for me to live after the first trip to Taiwan.

G: I would like to see a concert in the Taipei Arena too. I think it is just like the Hong Kong Coliseum. Besides, I want to visit my friend in Hualien and stay in her homestay accommodation.

H: I want to admire the calla lily flower sea at Yangmingshan. I also want to visit the Fengjia Night Market in Taichung.

I: I would like to see Joseph Cheng and many concerts. Shopping and eating everywhere.

J: I want to taste the food and go shopping everywhere.

K: I want to visit all the night markets in Taiwan and taste all the cuisine.

L: I hope to see my favourite idols, shop in Stage and Ximending, try the snacks in Shilin Night Market and visit Taipei 101.

M: I desire to see concerts and eat the snacks in Shilin Night Market, visit theme parks and buy guitar books.

N: I want to eat Taiwanese local snacks at the night markets, enjoy the hot spring and go shopping at Ximending.

O: Taipei and Yue Lao Temple. I hope to see my idol too.

P: Chuifen and Danshui. I also want to visit the rural areas for relaxation and stay in the homestay accommodation.

A large proportion of participants expressed that they wanted to visit the night markets and eat the Taiwanese snacks. Several of them would like to see a concert and go shopping if they had chance to visit Taiwan. Especially, one of them hoped to travel around the islands of Taiwan and one of them hoped to live in Taiwan.

Question 11: Did the real Taiwan encounter during the holiday match your expectations prior to the trip?

Participant A: Overall, I think the real Taiwan has exceeded my expectation. Before the trip, I knew about Taiwan from my friends’ experiences, the travel photos and the information on the Internet, the knowledge was limited. Nevertheless, I observed the detailed things through the tour in Taiwan like the different people and things happened on a street. Those were not the things that I could expect before visiting Taiwan.

B: Yes. There are really a lot of food and beautiful scenery.

C: Yes. Taiwan is really a relaxed place and the Taiwanese are friendly.

D: In reality, I thought that Taiwan was undeveloped during my trip. I expected that Taiwan was a place like Japan since it was colonized by Japan in the past. I expected that the Taiwanese could follow the Japanese as they adored the trend of Japan. However, it was like the Mainland China. Some goods were more expensive than that of Hong Kong.

E: Yes. There are different attractions such as natural landscapes, cultural resources and modern entertainment. I could get various experiences from Taiwan. However, I expected that the Taiwanese were similar to the Mainland Chinese who were impolite and unfashionable before. In fact, they were similar to the Hong Kong people and very nice.

F: Oh, it was beyond my expectations. Before I visited Taiwan, I expected Taiwan was a place like the Mainland China with low knowledge level. People there were rude. However, the real Taiwan encounter was totally different.

G: I expected that Taiwan was similar to the Mainland China but the real Taiwan encounter was not. I was attracted by Taiwan after the first tour.

H: The real Taiwan encounter exceeded my expectation. I did not expect that the Taiwanese people were nice and polite when comparing with Hong Kong people.

Half of the participants said that the real Taiwan encounter exceeded their expectations. They thought that Taiwan was similar to the Mainland China before visiting Taiwan. Several of them expressed that the real Taiwan encounter matched their expectation as Taiwan was really a peaceful place with a lot of beautiful scenery and friendly people.

Question 12: Did your prior experiences in touring Taiwan influence you to watch

Taiwanese TV dramas?

A majority of participants reported that visiting Taiwan did not influence them to watch TV dramas subsequently since they were the regular viewers. Only a few of them stated that visiting Taiwan led to interest in viewing Taiwanese TV dramas in order to relive the memories of the holiday in Taiwan. Participant A: It did not influence me but I have continued to watch Taiwanese TV dramas after touring Taiwan. If I saw a scene that I have visited, I can put myself in it. I will tell my friends that I visited this place last time.

B: Yes. I will want to know more and see more about the daily life of the Taiwanese. Taiwanese TV drama is a kind of source.

C: No, I don’t think so. I will decide to watch a Taiwanese TV drama by its story. I will not watch the TV drama if I think the story is not attractive.

D: I will watch the TV dramas to recall some memories of the journeys in Taiwan. I will learn Mandarin by watch Taiwanese TV dramas. If I discover some new attractions in the TV dramas, I might visit them next time.

E: No. I usually watch a Taiwanese TV drama if its story is attractive to me.

F: No, it did not.

G: Yes. I was more addicted to Taiwanese TV dramas after touring Taiwan. I was very excited when I watched the filming locations that I have visited.

H: It did not influence me so much since I watch the TV dramas regularly.

4.2 Discussion

4.2.1 Effects of Taiwanese TV Dramas on Travel Motivation

The total of 16 focus group participants reported that they felt like visiting Taiwan when watching Taiwanese TV dramas. All of them were attracted by the beautiful scenery portrayed in the Taiwanese TV dramas. A few of the participants who had not been to Taiwan were tempted by the delicious food portrayed in the TV dramas too. For the participants who had been to Taiwan for holiday, they typically went there for leisure and enjoyment. However, two of them mentioned that they travelled

Taiwan in order to escape from the routines in personal and interpersonal life. This result is different from those of Singh and Best’s (2004) and Chan’s (2007) studies, which determined that the film tourists were motivated to travel by seeking personal rewards rather than escaping from problems.

In applying the three categorizations of pull factors in film-induced tourism by

Macionis (2004), the findings suggest that the most important pull factor motivating the participants to visit Taiwan is Place such as the scenery and landscapes in the

TV dramas. Personality that was the association of celebrities with the film location is more important than Performance as a reason for visiting Taiwan. Some of the participants said that they desired to visit Taiwan because of their idols (the characters of the TV dramas) and hoped to see them in Taiwan. Only a few of the participants were motivated to visit the film locations by the plots of the TV dramas.

Therefore, the beautiful scenery in the TV dramas is the primary pull factor which combined with the push factor of experiencing and confirming the landscapes and attractions that one had seen in the TV dramas. The desires to meet the idols and experience the daily life and different cultures in Taiwan society are the other push factors.

Three types of film tourists in terms of increasing levels of film-induced motivation were also identified by Macionis (2004). Several participants could be considered as

Specific Film Tourist in this study, since they were drawn by the scenery and attractions portrayed in particular Taiwanese TV dramas. They were motivated to visit those places to experience and confirm what they had seen in the dramas. A few of the participants belonged to the type of the General Film Tourist. They had visited the filming locations within their trips but they were not impressed when describing their emotions and experiences at those places. They only remembered that those places were depicted in the TV dramas. Nevertheless, there is no Serendipitous Film

Tourist has been found in the research since none of the participants had either visited Taiwan before they began to watch Taiwanese TV dramas, or visited filming locations before watching the TV dramas that filmed at those places. Only one of the participants did not know whether he had visited a filming location or not.

4.2.2 Influence of Taiwanese TV dramas on Destination Image and Travel

Decision

Many participants got some ideas and images of Taiwan from the Taiwanese TV dramas. They felt that the life in Taiwan was simple and there were a lot of local snacks and beautiful scenery. They said that they could learn more about Taiwan and explore more places on the island through the TV dramas. Therefore, the findings recognize that TV dramas/ movies are able to change the cognitive and affective image of a destination (Kim and Richardson 2003, Warnick et al. 2005).

The results of the study also indicate that Taiwanese TV dramas can be an influential factor to attract tourists to Taiwan as well as the film locations at different levels. It showed that all the participants would like to visit Taiwan when they were watching

Taiwanese TV dramas. Many of them wanted to visit the film locations. Several of them were really affected to visit the film locations after watching some particular TV dramas. The finding supports those of some studies (Iwashita 2008, Im and Chon

2008) on the phenomenon that films encourage viewers to the destinations and filming locations.

4.2.3 Tour Experiences and Viewing of Taiwanese TV Dramas

For the participants who had visited the filming locations, none of them mentioned that they had a bad impression of the film sites. Some of them experienced strong emotions at the sites since they saw the real scenery or attractions portrayed and recaptured the scenes in the TV dramas. However, it was discovered that visiting

Taiwan would not necessarily lead to interest in viewing Taiwanese TV dramas subsequently, as all the participants in the focus group discussions were regular viewers. Nevertheless, several participants expressed that they would watch the TV dramas after returning home in order to discover more interesting places in Taiwan for future trip and recall the memories of their holiday. This resonates with Chan’s

(2007) conclusion that TV dramas can be a means for tourists to relive the memories of the holiday or reduce a sense of longing for the holiday destination, when they go back to the routines of daily life at home. CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The main objectives of this study are to examine whether Taiwanese TV dramas motivate Hong Kong young adult viewers to visit Taiwan, and their influence on the destination image of Taiwan and the destination choices of tourists. It also seeks to understand the influence of holiday experience of young adults in Taiwan on their subsequent consumption of Taiwanese TV dramas.

The results from the focus group discussions demonstrate that the most significant pull factors are the beautiful scenery and tasty food portrayed in the Taiwanese TV dramas, and the celebrities. The push factors are the desires to confirm the landscapes and attractions depicted in the TV dramas, to meet the idols and to experience the daily life and different cultures in Taiwan. The main motivation of participants to travel Taiwan is the desire to seek personal rewards. A few of the participants expressed that they visited Taiwan in order to escape from the routines in personal and interpersonal life.

It can be argued that Taiwanese TV dramas are able to motivate Hong Kong young adult viewers to visit Taiwan by the scenes portrayed in them and the celebrities.

The study supports that Taiwanese TV dramas can be one of the sources to influence the image of Taiwan and increase the familiarity and interests of Hong Kong young adults in visiting Taiwan as Kim and Richardson (2003) indicated. Many participants felt that there were various local snacks and beautiful scenery in Taiwan from watching the TV dramas. Taiwanese TV dramas are also a means for them to learn more about Taiwan and discover new places within Taiwan. They can be an influential factor to attract Hong Kong young adults to Taiwan and even the film locations in different levels. All the participants reported that they would like to visit

Taiwan when they were watching Taiwanese TV dramas. The majority of them wanted to visit the film locations and several of them were really affected to visit the film locations after watching some particular TV dramas.

However, the holiday experience of young adults in Taiwan might not necessarily lead to influence their subsequent consumption of Taiwanese TV dramas. Only several participants expressed that they would watch the TV dramas after returning home in order to discover more interesting places in Taiwan for future trip and recall the memories of their holiday.

The TTB has initiated to promote tourism and develop the image of Taiwan by movies or TV dramas. The existing example is the film Cape No.7 which was filmed in Hengchun (Taiwan Visitors Association 2009). A few of the participants really mentioned this film in the focus group discussions to show its influence on their interest in visiting Tainan. Nevertheless, it is recommended that the TTB has to consider the community in the filming locations and the negative impacts such as overcrowding and pollution that suggested by Beeton (2000), in order to achieve sustainability in film-induced tourism.

This study adopted a qualitative research method by using the focus group discussions with 16 participants. A larger sample size is recommended for further research since the size of a focus group of this study was too small to be a representative sample of the whole population. The focus group participants were only the Hong Kong young adults aged from 20 to 29. Further research is necessary to capture the views of older viewers of Taiwanese TV dramas. Participant observation at film sites and in-depth interviews with visitors on site is recommended for future work on the particularly case studies of Taiwan for film-induced tourism in

Asia. References:

BALOGLU, S. (1999). A path analytic model of visitation intention involving information sources, socio-psychological motivations, and destination image. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 8 (3), 81-90.

BEETON, S. (2000). How does film-induced tourism affect a country town?

Lights, camera, re-action. [online]. Last accessed 16 February 2009 at: http://www.regional.org.au/au/countrytowns/change/

BEETON, S. (2001). Smiling for the camera: The influence of film audiences on a budget tourism destination. Tourism, Culture & communication, 3 (1), 15-

25.

BEETON, S. (2005). Film-induced tourism. Clevedon, Channel View Publications.

BUSBY, G. and KLUG, J. (2001). Movie-induced tourism: The challenge of measurement and other issues. Journal of Vocation Marketing, 7 (4), 316-332.

CHAN, B. (2007). Film-induced tourism in Asia: A case study of Korean television drama and female viewers’ motivation to visit Korea. Tourism, Culture &

Communication, 7, 207-224.

CROMPTON, John L. (1979). An assessment of the image of Mexico as a vacation destination and the influence of geographical location upon that image. Journal of

Travel Research, 17 (4), 18-23.

CROY, W. G. (2004). The Lord of the Rings, New Zealand, and Tourism: Image

Building with Film (Working Paper 10/04). [online]. From Department of Management,

Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University. Last accessed 3 November

2008 at: http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/mgt/research/working- papers/2004/wp10-04.pdf

DANN, G. M. S. (1977). Anomie, ego-enhancement in tourism. Annals of Tourism

Research, 4 (4), 184-194.

HAN, H. J. and LEE, J. S. (2008). A study on the KBS TV drama Winter Sonata and its impact on Korea’s Hallyu tourism development. Journal of Travel & Tourism marketing, 24 (2-3), 115-126.

HERBERT, D. (2001). Literary places, tourism and the Heritage Experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 28 (2), 312-333.

IM, H. H. and CHON, K. (2008). An exploratory study of movie-induced tourism: A case of the movie The Sound of Music and its locations in Salzburg, Austria. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 24 (2-3), 229-238.

ISO-AHOLA, S. E. (1982). Toward a social psychological theory of tourism motivation: A rejoinder. Annals of Tourism Research, 9, 256-262.

ISO-AHOLA, S. E. (1983). Towards a social psychology of recreational travel.

Leisure Studies, 2 (1), 45-56.

IWASHITA, C. (2003). Media construction of Britain as a destination for Japanese tourists: Social constructionism and tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 4 (4),

331-340.

IWASHITA, C. (2008). Roles of films and television dramas in international tourism:

The case of Japanese tourists to the UK. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 24

(2-3), 139-151.

JEWELL, B. and MCKINNON, S (2008). Movie tourism—A new form of cultural landscape? Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 24 (2-3), 153-162.

KIM, H. and RICHARESON, S. L. (2003). Motion picture impacts on destination images. Annals of Tourism Research, 30 (1), 216-237.

KIM, S. S., AGRUSA, J., CHON, K. AND CHO, Y. (2008). The effects of Korean pop culture on Hong Kong residents’ perceptions of Korea as a potential tourist destination. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 24 (2-3), 163-183.

MACIONIS, N. (2004). Understanding the Film-Induced Tourist. In Frost, W., Croy, G. and Beeton, S. (eds.) International Tourism and Media Conference Proceedings, 86-

97. 24th-26th November 2004. Melbourne: Tourism Research Unit, Monash

University.

NIELSON, J. (1997). The Use and Misuse of Focus Group. [online]. Last accessed 1

February 2009 at: http://www.useit.com/papers/focusgroups.html

RILEY, R. W. and VAN DOREN, C. S. (1992). Movies as tourism promotion: A ‘pull’ factor in a ‘push’ location. Tourism Management, 13 (3), 267-274.

RILEY, R., BAKER, D. and VAN DOREN, C. S. (1998). Movie induced tourism.

Annals of Tourism Research, 25 (4), 919-935.

SINGH, K. and BEST, G. (2004). Film-induced tourism: Motivations of visitors to the

Hobbiton Movie Set as featured in The Lord of the Rings. In Frost, W., Croy, G. and

Beeton, S. (eds.) International Tourism and Media Conference Proceedings, 98-111.

24th-26th November 2004. Melbourne: Tourism Research Unit, Monash University.

SQUIRE, S. J. (1996). Literary tourism and sustainable tourism: Promoting “Anna of

Green Gables” in Prince Edward Island. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 4 (3), 119-

134.

TAIWAN TOURISM BUREAU (2009a). Monthly Statistic on Tourism 2008

(December). [online]. Last accessed 1 February 2009 at: http://admin.taiwan.net.tw/statistics/File/200812/2008_12monthly.pdf

TAIWAN TOURISM BUREAU (2009b). Wish to see you again. [online]. Last accessed 1 March 2009 at http://www.wishtoseeyou.com.tw/Eng/passport_01.htm

TAIWAN VISITORS ASSOCIATION (2009). Bimonthly Magazine, No.510. [online].

Last accessed 20 March 2009 at: http://www.tva.org.tw/list_publication.php

TOOKE, N. and BAKER, M. (1996). Seeing is believing: The effect of film on visitor numbers to screened locations. Tourism Management, 17 (2), 87-94.

WARNICK, R. B., BOJANIC, D. C. and SIRIANGKUL, A. (2005). Movie effects on the image of Thailand among college student travelers. The 2005 Northeastern

Recreation Research Symposium, 355-364.

LAST

PAGE