The political subjectivity of travel bloggers and online communities

Abstract

The article offers an interpretation of the activities of online travel communities as political subjectivities and a soft power tool. The results of empirical research obtained through interviews with influential bloggers, users of popular travel websites and a content analysis of comments posted in the Vinsky Forum are discussed. The conclusion is drawn that, although it is premature to talk about the awareness of online travel agents of their political influence and their place in the development of international cooperation, nevertheless, acting similarly to new media, bloggers appear as opinion leaders, and the activities of online travel communities can be interpreted as a form of public diplomacy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the activities of online travel communities as subjects of political influence in the digital environment. The research hypothesis is that specialized forums and social networks for travelers acquire the status of political players in the digital environment, influencing the formation of the image of countries and regions, the decision-making of participants in online travel communities. With online tourist activity is associated the search for new incentives for the development of world economies in a crisis situation: the activities of participants in the tourism business in the most stringent periods of social constraints was fully transferred to the online environment, demonstrating non-standard methods of solving management problems in a critical period.