Indicator System and Construction Level of Online Service Functions on New Media Platforms of Tourist Attractions: A Case Study of Yangzhou City, China

Abstract

Along with the rapid development of the mobile Internet, new media platforms are an important medium to assist tourist attractions in reaching tourists with their tourism services. This study takes the tourist attractions in Yangzhou, a famous historical and cultural city in China, as the research cases. First, a classification system for the online service functions on new media platforms (NMPOSF) of tourist attractions is proposed. Then, an indicator system for evaluating the construction level of NMPOSFs is constructed using the hierarchical analysis method. Finally, the construction level of NMPOSFs for 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City of China is evaluated and analyzed based on the indicator system. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) There are four first-level functional indicators of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions: information push, local service, electronic business and interactive consultation, as well as 24 second-level functional indicators; (2) There are significant differences in the construction level of NMPOSFs among new media platforms. Currently, Amap has advantages in the number of tourist attractions, the number of service functions and comprehensive scores; (3) The construction level of different types of NMPOSFs also differs. The type of highest construction level is interactive consultation, and the type of lowest construction level is local service; (4) There is still a great deal of room for the NMPOSFs for tourism attractions of A-grade or above to be improved in Yangzhou City, and Slender West Lake currently has the highest NMPOSF construction level. This study provides an empirical basis for the functional construction and service enhancement of new media platforms for tourist attractions in the mobile Internet era.

1. Introduction

With the popularity of smartphones and the development of mobile Internet information technology, the world is rapidly transitioning from the traditional non-mobile terminal-based Internet era to the mobile Internet era [1]. As of June 2022, the size of monthly active mobile internet users in China has reached 1.36 billion. Following the traditional media such as newspapers, radio and television, new media relying on the Internet came into being. New media based on Web2.0 technology integrates interpersonal communication, interactive operating system communication, information search communication and collective participatory communication [2]. This “hybrid” medium emphasizes the personalization, interaction and initiative of information dissemination and aggravates the fragmentation of information dissemination. New media not only combines the advantages of traditional media, but also breaks the spatio-temporal constraints of traditional media and gradually becomes an important approach to information dissemination in the mobile Internet era [3].

As the core element of the tourism industry, tourist attraction is not only the main component of tourism products, but also the center of attraction for tourism consumption [4]. Marketing is the main way to create a brand, promote image and attract tourists. This is also an important way for tourist attractions to gain a competitive advantage and achieve sustainable development. The development of the tourism industry has gained a new development opportunity in the new media era, and the all-around support of new media platforms has provided new channels for the marketing of tourist attractions [5]. Platforms are operated in the new media era mainly to realize the large-scale and real-time information resource generation, presentation and publication with the help of the platform clustering effect [6]. On the one hand, with the characteristics of large information transmission, fast dissemination, low price and precise target, new media marketing can combine high-quality content, excellent creativity and new technology, which is conducive to highlighting the characteristics and values of tourist attractions [7]. On the other hand, tourist attractions can also use new media platforms to communicate and interact with tourists, helping them obtain personalized tourism information to motivate them [8]. The openness of new media platforms and the sharing nature of tourism communication fit each other. “Tourism+” new media is not only the information dissemination medium and marketing channel of tourist attractions, but also a platform carrying many service functions for tourists.

Tourism online service is an important area within the field of tourism research. However, despite to the vigorous development of mobile information technology practices, there is not sufficient academic attention in the field regarding the new advances in mobile information technology which are represented by new media [9]. Most of the existing research has focused on topics such as the development level and spatial distribution of the official websites of tourist attractions or tourism enterprises based on non-mobile terminals, involving search ranking [10], functional evaluation [11,12], quality or utility assessment [13], spatial distribution characteristics [14,15] and other aspects. Relevant research objects cover the official tourism-related websites, such as attractions [16], enterprises (such as hotels) [17], social platforms and e-commerce websites, public service websites [18] and tourist attractions websites [19]. The research content mainly involves the evaluation of website development level, function [20], maturity [21] and spatial distribution characteristics. These studies provide a basis and reference for the evaluation of tourism new media. Of the few studies about the tourism new media, most of them are from the perspective of marketing and communication, such as online marketing processes [22], marketing potential and effectiveness [23], and audience influence [24] of tourism enterprises, tourist attractions, and destinations. However, tourism new media is not only a marketing channel, but also a new carrier for tourism organizations and tourist attractions that serve tourists using mobile information technology [25,26], as well as a new force for shaping geographic space in the mobile Internet era. The construction level of online service function on tourism new media can reflect the utilization of emerging mobile Internet technology in different tourist attractions [27]. Currently, only sporadic research has been conducted to discuss the spatial distribution characteristics and evaluation system of a single new tourism media, such as the WeChat public account [28]. Thus, the evaluation of tourism new media may have some problems, such as missing indicators or incomplete indicator systems [29,30]; it also ignores the difference between computer-based travel websites and mobile-based travel new media.

Reasonable evaluation of online service functions provided by new media platforms is the basis for the construction and enhancement of new media platforms for tourist attractions [31]. This not only helps tourist attractions establish the service function framework for new media platforms, it also helps tourist attractions evaluate the current situation and deficiencies of the construction level of their online service functions on new media platforms (NMPOSF) so that they can further improve the information service level of the tourist attractions. Yangzhou is one of the first of 24 historical and cultural cities to be announced by the State Council of China. It is known as the world’s culinary capital, the world’s canal capital, and the East Asian cultural capital. Yangzhou is richly endowed with tourism resources and is a very traditional scenic tourist city in China. Therefore, study of the construction level of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions in Yangzhou is beneficial to construct a targeted evaluation indicator system by examining NMPOSF, which can also provide a reference for measuring the construction level of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions nationwide. This paper is focused on answering the following research questions:

(1)

In the context of how the mobile Internet is reshaping tourism, what online service functions are provided for tourists by the new media platforms of tourist attractions?

(2)

What are the differences in online service functions for different types of new media platforms, and what is the evaluation indicator system for the construction level of tourism new media platforms?

(3)

What is the current construction level of NMPOSFs for A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City?

The rest of the paper is organized as follows: Section 2 describes the materials and methods of this study; Section 3 presents the analysis of evaluation results; Section 4 discusses the significance and development suggestions in the future. The paper ends with a conclusion in Section 5.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Study Area

Yangzhou City is located in the middle of Jiangsu Province at the confluence of Yangtze River and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (Figure 1). With four distinct seasons and a pleasant climate, it has unique tourism resources. It has both natural river and lake systems, idyllic wetland scenery landscapes, and also contains a wealth of history and culture, and the humanistic landscape is even better than the physical one. There is 1 national key tourist attraction, 3 national key cultural relics protection units, 11 provincial cultural relics protection units, and 133 municipal cultural relics protection units. The unique local culture, art and folklore landscape together construct the endowment state of Yangzhou tourism resources with deep cultural deposits.

In China, the national standard for quality ratings of tourist attractions (GB/T 17775-2003) is used to classify tourist attractions into five grades. From high to low, there are AAAAA, AAAA, AAA, AA and A-grade tourist attractions. Tourist attractions that have not passed the tourist administrative unit’s assessment procedure of do not have quality grades. This paper mainly examines tourism attractions of A-grade or higher in Yangzhou City. A-grade tourist attractions can more comprehensively reflect the development level of regional tourism resources and the construction level of tourist locations, and can also better reflect the tourism reception capacity and service level in a particular region, thus receiving attention from the tourism industry and academia. According to the “A-grade tourist attraction list” issued by the Yangzhou municipal government, by 2022, there were 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City. Among them, there is 1 5A tourist attraction, 14 4A tourist attractions, 32 3A tourist attractions, and 10 2A tourist attractions (

Table 1. A-grade tourist attraction list of Yangzhou City.

No.	Tourist Attraction	Grade	No.	Tourist Attraction	Grade
1	Slender West Lake	AAAAA	29	Runyang Forest Park	AAA
2	Daming Temple	AAAA	30	Jiangdu Zizai Park	AAA
3	Geyuan Garden	AAAA	31	Peafowl Mountain Ecological Sports Park	AAA
4	Heyuan Garden	AAAA	32	Caodian Chudian Park	AAA
5	Yangzhou Museum	AAAA	33	Yangzi Country Park	AAA
6	Zhuyuwan Gulf	AAAA	34	Baoshe River Leisure Sports Park	AAA
7	Dongguan Historical and Cultural Tourism Area	AAAA	35	Baoying Lake National Wetland Park	AAA
8	Yuchengyi Scenic Spot	AAAA	36	Ancient Mosque Scenic Area in Lingtang Hui Autonomous Township	AAA
9	Songjiacheng Scenic Spot	AAAA	37	Gaoyou Cultural Sports Leisure Park	AAA
10	Hanling Garden	AAAA	38	Shugang Ecological Park	AAA
11	Marco Polo Flower World	AAAA	39	Huaduhui—Yangzhou Horticultural Experience Center	AAA
12	Yunhe Sanwan Scenic Spot	AAAA	40	Tianle Lake Holiday Resort	AAA
13	Shaobo Ancient Town	AAAA	41	Yangzhou Folk Music Park	AAA
14	Nashan Geopark	AAAA	42	Yangzhou Art Museum	AAA
15	The Last Battle Cultural Park of Anti-Japanese War in Gaoyou	AAAA	43	Yangzhou Science and Technology Museum	AAA
16	Jinghuacheng Leisure Tourism Area	AAA	44	Jieshou Old Street Cultural Scenic Area	AAA
17	Phoenix Island Ecotourism Area	AAA	45	Qingshuitan Scenic Area	AAA
18	Shikefa Memorial Hall	AAA	46	Lotus Pond Scenic Area	AAA
19	Wudaotai Mansion	AAA	47	Heyuan Ecological Tourism Area	AAA
20	Zongzhao Garden	AAA	48	Former Residence of Zhu Ziqing	AA
21	Yizheng Museum	AAA	49	Zhou Enlai Juvenile Reading Office	AA
22	Zhenguo Temple	AAA	50	Baoying Museum	AA
23	Wenyou Platform	AAA	51	Baoying Liubao Second Sisters Model Militia Activity Center	AA
24	Yizheng Hongshan Sports Park	AAA	52	Yangzhou Longchuan Potted Landscape Art Gallery	AA
25	Ningguo Temple	AAA	53	Baoying Geming Lieshi Memorial Hall	AA
26	Chenyuan Park	AAA	54	Yangzhou Jade-Caring Factory	AA
27	Kaiyuan Temple	AAA	55	Jiangdu Fairy Park	AA
28	Hackberry Garden	AAA	56	Yangzhou Hill-water Garden	AA
			57	Shiguta Ecological Sports Park	AA

).

2.2. Data Sources

The use of new media in tourism involves many aspects, and new media changes the travel activities of tourists according to the trend of “forum–blog–social–diversity”. According to the difference in service functions, new media can be divided into instant messaging, consumer reviews, micro-blogs, location services, video sharing and other types. The tourism market in Yangzhou is dominated by domestic tourists. Therefore, five mainstream domestic new media platforms in China have been selected as data sources. The study data were obtained by investigating the types of online services provided by A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou on different new media platforms. The five new media platforms are the WeChat public account, Dianping, Sina Weibo, Amap and TikTok (

Table 2. New Media Platforms for Data Sources of this Study.

New Media Platform	Type	Description
WeChat public account	Instant messaging	China’s largest instant messaging software, with 1262 million monthly active accounts in the third quarter of 2021
Dianping	Consumer review	China’s leading local life information and trading platform
Amap	Location service	China’s map navigation industry first, more than 599 million monthly active users
Sina Weibo	Microblog	One of the largest social media platforms in China
TikTok	Video sharing	China’s largest short-time video platform, monthly active users have exceeded 800 million

).

2.3. Study Method

Based on the list of 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou, this study used the full names or keywords to find and identify the official account of tourist attractions on the five new media platforms in Table 2. The online service functions provided by the five new media platform in particular are statistically summarized, and the system of the NMPOSFs for tourist attractions is described. Then, the evaluation indicator system of the construction level of NMPOSFs is developed using the analytical hierarchy process. Based on the functional system and evaluation indicator system, the construction level of NMPOSFs for 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City is measured. The technical route of this study is shown in Figure 2.

2.3.1. Online Service Function System of New Media Platform of Tourist Attractions

The online service functions provided on the new media platforms of 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City were counted, summarized and, and the functions that are within the same category but have different names were merged. A total of 24 functional indicators were identified and can be divided into four main categories: information push, local service, electronic business and interactive consultation. In comparison with the functions summarized on existing non-mobile-based tourism websites, it was found that the new media platforms for A-grade tourism attractions cover all the functions provided by traditional tourism websites for visitor services.

The weights of the functional indicators of the new media platforms for tourist attractions are calculated through an analytical hierarchy process [32]. A total of 15 experts, including tourism attraction research experts and public operators as well as travel agency product designers, were selected to evaluate the importance of all indicators. The 4 first-level functional indicators and 24 second-level functional indicators were compared in pairs within the hierarchy by individual experts, using a scale of “1” to “9” to indicate the importance of one indicator relative to another. Yaahp 12.1 software is used for the calculation of indicator weights. Finally, the weight coefficients of each level of measurement indicators for the NMPOSF construction level for tourist attractions was determined. The weight coefficients of this study refer to [33].

Table 3. Indicator system of online service functions on new media platforms of tourist attractions.

First-Level Function	First-Level Weight	Second-Level Function	Second-Level Weight	Function Description
Information push (A)	0.3668	Introduction of tourist attractions in graphic form (A1)	0.1497	Introduction of tourist attractions through pictures and texts
		Introduction to tourist attractions in the form of video (or virtual reality) (A2)	0.0505	Introduction of tourist attractions through video and virtual reality technology
		Tour route (A3)	0.1123	Introduction and suggestions of tour routes and nodes
		Traffic information (A4)	0.1414	Traffic routes and guides inside and outside the tourist attractions
		Parking information (A5)	0.1078	Information of parking lots and parking spaces in tourist attractions
		Peripheral service information (A6)	0.1325	Information on dining, accommodation, shopping and other services around (inside) the tourist attractions
		Activity delivery (A7)	0.1839	Recent short term events and offers in tourist attractions
		Weather information (A8)	0.0555	Weather (temperature, humidity, wind index, etc.) real-time information
		Passenger flow information (A9)	0.0664	Number of real-time tourists, distribution of tourists in tourist attractions
Local service (B)	0.3897	Map navigation (B1)	0.3411	Provide online scenic map and positioning navigation
		Audio guide (B2)	0.4085	Provide commentary on tourist attractions via voice
		WiFi connection (B3)	0.1657	Provide wireless network connection in tourist attractions
		Lost and found (B4)	0.0846	Release of lost and found information and contact details
Electronic business (C)	0.1515	Ticket reservation (C1)	0.3346	Booking of tickets for attractions and pay-per-view activities
		Accommodation booking (C2)	0.1928	Booking of hotels and homestay inn inside and outside the tourist attractions
		Route reservation (C3)	0.1133	Scenic and surrounding customized tourism route reservation
		Dining reservation (C4)	0.1198	Booking of food and drink provided by the tourist attractions
		Tour guide service reservation (C5)	0.0655	Scenic guide booking and reservation service
		Purchase of goods (C6)	0.0445	Buy local specialties and souvenirs on the microshop or microstore
		Online order management (C7)	0.1294	Check or manage personal booking information
Interactive consultation (D)	0.0919	Contact way (D1)	0.4316	Provide contact details for customer service
		Online consulting (D2)	0.2658	Real-time online consulting services
		Post-tour message (D3)	0.0952	Documenting visitors’ personal experiences and feelings after the tour
		Complaint suggestions (D4)	0.2073	Make complaints and suggestions

shows the multi-level indicator system of NMPOSF for tourist attractions.

2.3.2. Calculation Method of Construction Level of NMPOSFs for Tourist Attractions

There are existing studies that measure the quality of tourism websites using a method of multiplying each function score by its weight and then summing them [34]. Each function is assigned a specific score according to its presence or absence, multiplied by its weight and summed. A similar measurement is used in this paper. In a particular tourist attraction’s new media platform, each second-level function indicator is scored as 1 if it is available, and 0 if it is not. If the tourist attraction has not yet opened an account in the new media platform, and none of the functions are available, its score for each function indicator is 0. The specific measurement method is as follows:

(1)

The scores of each second-level function indicator are multiplied by the second-level weights and summed to obtain a score for the first-level function indicator of the new media platform for tourist attractions. The calculation formula is as follow:

$$B_k={\displaystyle \sum }_{i=1}^n\left(w_i\times U_i\right)\left(k=1,2,3,4\right)$$

(1)

In the formula, U_i is the score (1 or 0) of the i-th indicator in the second-level indicator, w_i is the weight of the i-th indicator in the second-level indicator, and B_k is the score of the first-level indicator.

(2)

The scores of each first-level function indicator are multiplied by the first-level weights and summed to obtain an overall score for the construction level of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions. The calculation formula is as follow:

$$A_j={\displaystyle \sum }_{i=1}^p\left(v_i\times B_i\right)\left(p=4\right)$$

(2)

In the formula, V_i is the weight of the i-th indicator in the first-level indicator, and A_j is the overall score for the construction level of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions.

(3)

The average of the overall scores obtained by the same tourist attraction on different new media platforms is calculated to obtain a synthesis score of the construction level of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions. The calculation formula is as follow:

$$C=\frac{1}{q}\times {\displaystyle \sum }_{i=1}^q{A}_i\left(q=5\right)$$

(3)

In the formula, C is the synthesis score of the construction level of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions, and there are five new media platforms involved in this paper.

3. Result Analysis

Based on the function system of new media platforms of tourist attractions and the weight coefficients of each function indicator, the synthesis score of NMPOSFs for 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City was measured. The mean value method and frequency statistics are used to analyze the construction level of NMPOSFs from three different aspects: new media platforms, online services and tourist attractions.

Based on the function system of new media platforms of tourist attractions and the weight coefficients of each function indicator, the NMPOSF synthesis score for 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City was measured. The mean value method and frequency statistics were used to analyze the construction level of NMPOSFs from three different aspects: new media platforms, online services and tourist attractions.

3.1. Differences of the Construction Level of New Media Platforms

Taking tourist attraction as the basic dimension, the online service functions provided by 57 A-grade tourist attractions on 5 new media platforms are counted separately, and the statistical results are scored according to Table 3 and Formulas (1)–(3). The statistical results are shown in

Table 4. Differences in online services provided by tourist attractions on different new media platforms.

Tourist Attraction	WeChat Public Account		Dianping		Sina Weibo		Amap		TikTok
	n *	S **	n *	S **	n *	S **	n *	S **	n *	S **
Slender West Lake	16	0.7812	12	0.3884	18	0.8305	17	0.7671	12	0.4963
Daming Temple	6	0.2568	9	0.3318	4	0.1555	17	0.7671	12	0.4771
Geyuan Garden	8	0.5445	9	0.3321	6	0.3070	17	0.7815	12	0.4771
Heyuan Garden	11	0.6564	9	0.3108	5	0.1741	16	0.7571	11	0.4599
Yangzhou Museum	11	0.6345	6	0.2433	5	0.1741	9	0.3072	11	0.4599
Zhuyuwan Gulf	12	0.5840	10	0.3614	5	0.1741	15	0.7279	12	0.4666
Dongguan Historical and Cultural Tourism Area	6	0.3915	7	0.2406	4	0.1555	11	0.4813	10	0.4500
Yuchengyi Scenic Spot	16	0.6310	7	0.2741	5	0.1741	15	0.7400	10	0.4500
Songjiacheng Scenic Spot	6	0.2176	8	0.2801	6	0.2153	16	0.7643	10	0.4060
Hanling Garden	8	0.4355	5	0.2038	6	0.2137	15	0.6170	11	0.4599
Marco Polo Flower World	8	0.2864	7	0.2619	4	0.1555	12	0.6405	10	0.4500
Yunhe Sanwan Scenic Spot	10	0.6538	5	0.2038	4	0.1555	12	0.5056	10	0.4060
Shaobo Ancient Town	6	0.2598	5	0.2038	0	0	10	0.4609	8	0.3797
Nashan Geopark	15	0.5968	8	0.2913	5	0.1741	13	0.6784	12	0.4963
The Last Battle Cultural Park of Anti-Japanese War in Gaoyou	0	0	4	0.1552	4	0.1555	5	0.1745	8	0.3596
Jinghuacheng Leisure Tourism Area	0	0	5	0.2038	0	0	11	0.4685	10	0.406
Phoenix Island Ecotourism Area	14	0.7690	9	0.3308	0	0	16	0.7643	8	0.3797
Shikefa Memorial Hall	6	0.2842	4	0.1552	5	0.1741	5	0.1745	8	0.3797
Wudaotai Mansion	0	0	4	0.1950	0	0	6	0.3007	8	0.3797
Zongzhao Garden	0	0	4	0.1641	0	0	11	0.4644	0	0
Yizheng Museum	9	0.3892	4	0.1641	5	0.1741	10	0.4401	8	0.3797
Zhenguo Temple	8	0.4116	3	0.1463	0	0	11	0.6317	8	0.3797
Wenyou Platform	0	0	4	0.1641	0	0	13	0.6792	11	0.4599
Yizheng Hongshan Sports Park	0	0	5	0.2037	0	0	9	0.4004	8	0.3797
Ningguo Temple	0	0	2	0.1068	0	0	12	0.6393	10	0.4092
Chenyuan Park	0	0	4	0.1641	0	0	8	0.3801	8	0.3797
Kaiyuan Temple	2	0.1224	2	0.1068	0	0	10	0.3472	8	0.3797
Hackberry Garden	0	0	4	0.1641	0	0	11	0.4685	8	0.3797
Runyang Forest Park	0	0	8	0.2913	0	0	13	0.5396	7	0.3400
Jiangdu Zizai Park	0	0	4	0.1641	0	0	8	0.3801	7	0.3400
Peafowl Mountain Ecological Sports Park	0	0	3	0.1554	0	0	8	0.3801	7	0.3400
Caodian Chudian Park	0	0	3	0.1554	0	0	9	0.4197	8	0.3797
Yangzi Country Park	0	0	4	0.1641	3	0.1006	8	0.3801	7	0.3400
Baoshe River Leisure Sports Park	0	0	2	0.1005	0	0	8	0.3801	7	0.3400
Baoying Lake National Wetland Park	14	0.5639	8	0.3136	4	0.1555	14	0.7108	11	0.4599
Ancient Mosque Scenic Area in Lingtang Hui Autonomous Township	0	0	2	0.1068	0	0	6	0.2384	0	0
Gaoyou Cultural Sports Leisure Park	0	0	2	0.1005	0	0	8	0.3801	8	0.3797
Shugang Ecological Park	0	0	3	0.1092	0	0	10	0.4289	8	0.3797
Huaduhui—Yangzhou Horticultural Experience Center	0	0	5	0.2038	0	0	9	0.4197	7	0.3400
Tianle Lake Holiday Resort	13	0.5540	9	0.3098	7	0.2659	14	0.5687	11	0.4671
Yangzhou Folk Music Park	0	0	3	0.1554	0	0	0	0	7	0.3400
Yangzhou Art Museum	3	0.1620	2	0.1005	0	0	7	0.2319	0	0
Yangzhou Science and Technology Museum	6	0.2508	4	0.1641	5	0.1741	11	0.3768	8	0.3797
Jieshou Old Street Cultural Scenic Area	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0.3400
Qingshuitan Scenic Area	2	0.0734	8	0.2913	4	0.1555	13	0.6679	11	0.4671
Lotus Pond Scenic Area	2	0.0734	3	0.1554	0	0	14	0.5545	7	0.3400
Heyuan Ecological Tourism Area	0	0	4	0.1641	0	0	9	0.3740	7	0.3400
Former Residence of Zhu Ziqing	0	0	2	0.1068	0	0	12	0.3972	10	0.4202
Zhou Enlai Juvenile Reading Office	11	0.4891	1	0.0519	0	0	4	0.1381	3	0.0728
Baoying Museum	12	0.6926	3	0.1554	0	0	11	0.356	5	0.3068
Baoying Liubao Second Sisters Model Militia Activity Center	0	0	2	0.1005	0	0	1	0.0549	0	0
Yangzhou Longchuan Potted Landscape Art Gallery	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0.2227	7	0.3400
Baoying Geming Lieshi Memorial Hall	0	0	1	0.0519	0	0	2	0.0914	0	0
Yangzhou Jade-Caring Factory	0	0	2	0.1005	0	0	10	0.4136	8	0.3797
Jiangdu Fairy Park	0	0	4	0.1641	0	0	10	0.4401	8	0.3797
Yangzhou Hill-water Garden	0	0	3	0.1155	0	0	6	0.2227	6	0.3465
Shiguta Ecological Sports Park	0	0	2	0.1005	0	0	8	0.3801	7	0.3400
Average	4.2281	0.2064	4.5965	0.1843	2	0.0774	10.0351	0.447	7.9123	0.3559

* is the number of online service functions; ** is the synthesis score.

. Among the five new media platforms, the tourist attractions that offer the largest number of online services are Dianping and Amap with 55. A total of 52 tourist attractions have created online service functions on TikTok. There are only 27 and 21 tourist attractions with online service functions on WeChat public account and Sina Weibo, accounting for 47.37% and 36.84% of the total tourist attractions, respectively. According to the synthesis scores of the construction level of each tourist attraction on different new media platforms, the synthesis score of Amap is the highest (0.4470); the synthesis score of TikTok is 0.3559; the synthesis score of the Wechat public account is 0.2064; the synthesis score of Dianping is 0.1843; and the synthesis score of Sina Weibo is the lowest (0.0774).

According to the statistics of the setting frequency of online service functions for each tourist attraction on different new media platforms, on Amap, each tourist attraction has 10.03 online service functions on average, and 33 tourist attractions have more than 10 online service functions. On TikTok, each tourist attraction has 7.91 online service functions on average, and 20 tourist attractions have more than 10 online service functions. On the WeChat public account, each tourist attraction has 4.23 online service functions on average, and 12 tourist attractions have more than 10 online service functions. On Dianping, each tourist attraction has 4.60 online service functions on average, and 2 tourist attractions have more than 10 online service functions. On Sina Weibo, each tourist attraction has 2 online service functions on average, and 1 tourist attraction has more than 10 online service functions.

Amap is the highest among the five platforms in terms of the number of tourist attractions, the number of online service functions and the synthesis score of construction level, and thus, its online service function has the highest construction level. The second platform is TikTok. On the WeChat public account, the number of tourist attractions with online services is not large, but the types of online services offered are more diverse. In contrast, there are a large number of tourist attractions in Dianping, but the online services offered are relatively monotonous. Sina Weibo is at a disadvantage in terms of the number of tourist attractions, the number of online service functions and the synthesis score of construction level, and the construction of online services carried out by tourist attractions on this platform is relatively weak.

3.2. Differences of the Construction Level of Online Service Functions

Taking online service function as the basic dimension, the number of tourist attractions that provide various functions is counted separately to obtain the setting frequency of each function. The statistical results are shown in

Table 5. Differences of the construction level of online service functions on different new media platforms.

Tourist Attraction	WeChat Public Account			Dianping			Sina Weibo			Amap			TikTok
	n *	S **	R ***	n *	S **	R ***	n *	S **	R ***	n *	S **	R ***	n *	S **	R ***
Introduction of tourist attractions in graphic form (A1)	27	47.37%	1	46	80.70%	2	20	35.09%	4	48	84.21%	6	51	89.47%	1
Introduction to tourist attractions in the form of video (or virtual reality) (A2)	16	28.07%	6	6	10.53%	10	13	22.81%	5	0	0.00%	19	51	89.47%	2
Tour route (A3)	12	21.05%	9	0	0.00%	14	3	5.26%	6	20	35.09%	13	0	0.00%	15
Traffic information (A4)	13	22.81%	8	55	96.49%	1	1	1.75%	10	53	92.98%	1	51	89.47%	3
Parking information (A5)	6	10.53%	13	11	19.30%	8	1	1.75%	11	53	92.98%	2	0	0.00%	16
Peripheral service information (A6)	8	14.04%	11	45	78.95%	3	1	1.75%	12	50	87.72%	4	51	89.47%	4
Activity delivery (A7)	25	43.86%	2	0	0.00%	15	21	36.84%	1	0	0.00%	20	0	0.00%	17
Weather information (A8)	2	3.51%	20	0	0.00%	16	0	0.00%	19	27	47.37%	10	0	0.00%	18
Passenger flow information (A9)	1	1.75%	22	0	0.00%	17	0	0.00%	20	6	10.53%	17	0	0.00%	19
Map navigation (B1)	16	28.07%	7	0	0.00%	18	2	3.51%	7	40	70.18%	8	51	89.47%	5
Audio guide (B2)	8	14.04%	12	0	0.00%	19	1	1.75%	13	16	28.07%	14	0	0.00%	20
WiFi connection (B3)	1	1.75%	23	0	0.00%	20	0	0.00%	21	0	0.00%	21	0	0.00%	21
Lost and found (B4)	1	1.75%	24	0	0.00%	21	0	0.00%	22	0	0.00%	22	0	0.00%	22
Ticket reservation (C1)	21	36.84%	3	12	21.05%	7	2	3.51%	8	15	26.32%	15	16	28.07%	10
Accommodation booking (C2)	5	8.77%	16	2	3.51%	11	1	1.75%	14	22	38.60%	12	2	3.51%	14
Route reservation (C3)	5	8.77%	17	8	14.04%	9	0	0.00%	23	7	12.28%	16	6	10.53%	12
Dining reservation (C4)	6	10.53%	14	2	3.51%	12	1	1.75%	15	0	0.00%	23	0	0.00%	23
Tour guide service reservation (C5)	3	5.26%	19	1	1.75%	13	0	0.00%	24	3	5.26%	18	10	17.54%	11
Purchase of goods (C6)	11	19.30%	10	0	0.00%	22	1	1.75%	16	0	0.00%	24	4	7.02%	13
Online order management (C7)	21	36.84%	4	14	24.56%	6	1	1.75%	17	25	43.86%	11	21	36.84%	9
Contact way (D1)	20	35.09%	5	24	42.11%	5	2	3.51%	9	38	66.67%	9	37	64.91%	8
Online consulting (D2)	6	10.53%	15	0	0.00%	23	21	36.84%	2	50	87.72%	5	50	87.72%	6
Post-tour message (D3)	5	8.77%	18	36	63.16%	4	21	36.84%	3	46	80.70%	7	50	87.72%	7
Complaint suggestions (D4)	2	3.51%	21	0	0.00%	24	1	1.75%	18	53	92.98%	3	0	0.00%	24

* is the number of tourist attractions with this function; ** is the setting frequency (%); *** is the ranking.

. Take (A1) function as an example. In the WeChat public account, 27 of the 57 tourist attractions provided this function, and its setting frequency (27/57) ranked first compared with the other 23 functions of NMPOSF; in the Dianping, 46 of the 57 tourist attractions provided this function, and its setting frequency (46/57) ranked second among the other 23 functions of NMPOSF.

The construction situation of 57 tourist attractions in 5 new media platforms is summarized, and the setting frequency of various online services is different. Among the 24 online service functions, the setting frequency of traffic information (A4), introduction of tourist attractions in graphic form (A1), peripheral service information (A6), online consulting (D2), post-tour messages (D3), parking information (A5), map navigation (B1), complaint suggestions (D4), introduction to tourist attractions in the form of video (or virtual reality) (A2) and contact method (D1) are relatively high, reaching more than 70%. Dining reservation (C4), passenger flow information (A9), WiFi connection (B3) and lost and found (B4) functions capture less attention than the tourist attractions, and the setting frequency is less than 20%.

Among the four types of first-level functions, the construction level of the interactive consultation function is the highest, followed by the information push function. The construction level of the electronic business function is lower, and the construction level of local service function is the lowest. The average overall score of the interactive consultation function of 57 A-grade tourist attractions is the highest (0.3952), the average overall score of the information push function is 0.3516, and the average overall scores of the electronic business function and local service function are 0.1569 and 0.1672, respectively. The average setting frequency of the four second-level functions in interactive consultation is 90.35%, and the average setting frequency of the nine second-level functions in information push is 69.98%. The average setting frequency of the seven second-level functions in the electronic business is 33.83%, which is higher than that of four second-level functions in local service (32.89%). Moreover, among the four second-level functions in local service, although the setting frequency of the map navigation reached 92.98%, the setting frequency of the other three functions of audio guide, WiFi connection and lost and found are only 35.09%, 1.75% and 1.75%, ranking 17th, 23rd and 24th in the setting frequency of the 24 functions, respectively, with huge differences in the construction level among the second-level functions.

On the WeChat public account, the construction level of 24 online service functions is relatively average, and all 24 online services have been provided. Introduction of tourist attractions in graphic form, activity delivery, ticket reservation, online order management and contact method are the five most activated functions, with the setting frequency at more than 30%. Weather information, complaint suggestions, passenger flow information, WiFi connection and lost and found are the five functions that are least activated functions at less than 5%.

On Dianping, the information push has the highest construction level among the four first-level functions, with an average overall score of 0.3880. In the information push function, the setting frequency of both traffic information and introduction of tourist attractions in graphic form exceeded 80%, which is also the second-level function with the highest setting frequency for Dianping. However, there are 11 second-level functions with a setting frequency of 0. In the local service function, in particular, the setting frequency of its subordinate four second-level functions is 0.

On Amap, the average overall scores of its four types of first-level functions are all the highest among the five new media platforms. In particular, the overall score of the interactive consultation function (0.7905) is much higher than that of the other four new media platforms.

On Sina Weibo, the average overall scores of first-level functions of the information push, electronic business and interactive consultation types are the lowest among the five new media platforms. There is no second-level function with a setting frequency of more than 40%. Activity delivery, online consulting and post-tour message are the three second-level functions with the highest setting frequency (36.84%).

On TikTok, 7 second-level functions have a setting frequency of over 80%, but 10 second-level functions also had an activation rate of 0. The average overall scores of the three first-level functions of information push, local services and interactive consultation are the second highest among the five new media platforms, just behind Amap.

3.3. Comprehensive Evaluation of the Construction Level of NMPOSFs for A-Grade Tourist Attractions

All 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City have constructed their online service functions on the new media platform, and the average of their construction level synthesis score is 0.2542; therefore, the comprehensive level is below average and needs to be improved. The construction level of NMPOSFs for each tourist attraction varies significantly. According to the synthesis score, there is one tourist attraction with a score above 0.6, and the most concentrated score ranges are 0.1–0.2 and 0.3–0.4, accounting for 38.60% and 19.30% of the total number of tourist attractions, respectively. Slender West Lake has the highest score at 0.6527. Baoying Geming Lieshi Memorial Hall has the lowest score at 0.0287. Overall, 35.09% of A-grade tourist attractions have a synthesis score of 0.3 or above, and about half (50.88%) of them scored 0.2 or above in the construction level of NMPOSFs (

Table 6. The distribution of the synthesis score of tourist attractions.

Synthesis Score	All Tourist Attractions		5A Tourist Attractions		4A Tourist Attractions		3A Tourist Attractions		2A Tourist Attractions
	n *	p **	n *	p**	n *	p **	n *	p **	n *	p **
0.6	1	1.75%	1	100%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%
0.5–0.6	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%
0.4–0.5	8	14.04%	0	0.00%	5	35.71%	3	9.38%	0	0.00%
0.3–0.4	11	19.30%	0	0.00%	7	50.00%	3	9.38%	1	10.00%
0.2–0.3	9	15.79%	0	0.00%	1	7.14%	8	25.00%	0	0.00%
0.1–0.2	22	38.60%	0	0.00%	1	7.14%	14	43.75%	7	70.00%
0–0.1	6	10.53%	0	0.00%	0	0.00%	4	12.50%	2	20.00%

* is number; ** is percentage.

). The average synthesis score of the 10 tourist attractions with the highest construction level of NMPOSFs is 0.4697, while the average synthesis score of the 10 tourist attractions with the highest construction level of NMPOSFs is 0.0920.

The construction level of NMPOSFs for tourist attractions on different new media platforms varies. A total of 19 tourist attractions provide online services on all five new media platforms. The majority of tourist attractions provide online services on three new media platforms (38.60%). In addition, nine tourist attractions provide online services on four new media platforms and six tourist attractions provide online services on two new media platforms. Only one tourist attraction offers online services on only one new media platform.

The richness of the online services provided to tourists varies greatly between different levels of tourist attractions. The only 5A tourist attraction, Slender West Lake, also has the highest synthesis score. Among the 14 4A tourist attractions, 12 tourist attractions have a synthesis score of 0.3 or above, with Geyuan Garden, Heyuan Garden, Zhuyuwan Gulf and Yuchengyi Scenic Spot scoring second only to the Slender West Lake. Among the 32 3A tourist attractions, only 6 tourist attractions have a synthesis score of 0.3 or above, and the score distribution is concentrated in the range of 0.1–0.2 (43.75%). There are also four 3A tourist attractions with a synthesis score below 0.1. Among the 10 2A tourist attractions, only the Baoying Museum Scenic Spot has a synthesis score of 0.3 or above. Baoying Liubao Second Sisters Model Militia Activity Center and Baoying Geming Lieshi Memorial Hall are the two tourist attractions with the lowest synthesis score among the 57 A-grade tourist attractions.

4. Discussion

In the new round of intelligent development of tourism based on mobile Internet, new media has attracted the attention of most A-grade tourist attractions. Compared to traditional tourism websites, the new media of tourist attractions in the context of the mobile Internet offers both alternative functional types with similar functions and complementary functional classes that traditional tourism websites failed to offer in the past. However, there are still some tourist attractions that have not constructed new media or have a low construction level of NMPOSF, indicating that the importance of new media has not been fully recognized by some tourist attractions.

4.1. The Significance of the Evaluation of NMPOSFs for Tourist Attractions

(1)

Sorting the online service function system of new media platform

The new media platform of tourist attractions provides tourists with 4 major categories of first-level functions, including information push, local service, electronic business and interactive consultation, covering a total of 24 second-level functions. This indicator system provides a library of basic service functions for the construction of new media in various levels of tourist attractions in China, which helps tourist attractions design and improve their NMPOSF. It also has reference significance for a wider range of physical commercial institutions facing terminal customers other than tourist attractions, and can provide a theoretical reference value for the construction of their NMPOSF.

(2)

Exploring the advantages of each new media platform

New media platforms are an important channel for information dissemination, and there are inherent differences in the type of information disseminated in each platform. As a result, online service functions that are well constructed on one new media platforms may be weak on other platforms. For instance, Amap is a map platform that provides navigation services. Tourist attractions on Amap provide traffic information, parking information, map navigation and other functions from the software itself, which can fully utilize Amap’s advantages. As a short video platform, TikTok provides the function of introducing tourist attractions in the form of video (or virtual reality), which is a rich opportunity. On the one hand, tourist attractions need to make good use of the characteristics of different new media platforms, then combine the advantages of new media platforms with the construction of online service functions. On the other hand, it is necessary to further break the barrier of online service functions between platforms to enhance the convenience of tourists in accessing online services.

(3)

Clarify the construction direction of new media platforms in the future

In terms of the four first-level functions, the highest construction level is in interactive consultation, while the construction level is lower in the electronic business. The lowest construction level is in local services, including audio guides, map navigation, WiFi connection and so on. However, as an innovative function given to the new media by mobile Internet technology, the local service is highly weighted and is an important aspect of the future construction of smart tourism. It is urgent that tourist attractions pay attention to the construction of NMPOSFs in the future.

4.2. Suggestions for the Development of NMPOSFs for Tourist Attractions

Firstly, at the management level, policy documents are issued as guidance. In the era of mobile Internet, NMPOSFs have become an important part of the construction of intelligent tourist attractions. New media is an important platform for tourism marketing and tourist services, which are key factors for promoting the development of tourism. In the future, the national tourism management department or industry association can issue relevant guiding documents regarding constructing functions for NMPOSFs and provide guidance and support to the NMPOSFs for national tourist attractions.

Secondly, at the content level, the quality of NMPOSFs is improved. Many functions of new media can be integrated into more aspects to improve the management and service level of tourist attractions. For instance, free publicity materials, information release channels, eco-education guidance, safety publicity and education, price announcement, tourist attractions publicity and other aspects can make further use of NMPOSF.

Thirdly, at the channel level, the new media platforms are integrated multi-dimensionally. To expand the influence of tourist attractions on new media platforms, the advantages of different new media platforms should be used to spread the information or provide the online services in multiple dimensions.

Fourthly, at the interactive level, there has been a focus on acquiring big data regarding tourism. The new media of tourist attractions based on mobile terminals can capture more direct and effective information from users. This tourist information plays an important role in understanding the individual characteristics and behavior of tourists. Not only can they provide a basis for research and judgment to meet the needs of tourists and promote service improvement, but they can also enhance precision marketing and improve the efficiency of marketing to tourists. Tourist attraction managers should make good use of the big data regarding tourists that are gathered by the new media platform. By analyzing, utilizing and managing tourist information, managers can help tourist attractions develop in a sustainable way.

5. Conclusions

The expansion of emerging technologies and their use in tourism is an important element of research in information geography and tourism informatics. In the context of the rapid development of the mobile Internet, the construction of new media, a service platform based on emerging mobile information technology, is more common in A-grade tourist attractions in China. Taking Yangzhou City, a historical and cultural city in China, as the study area, this paper focuses on the tourism online service functions provided by five different types of new media platforms, composing the online service function system on new media platforms of tourist attractions. The analytic hierarchy process method is used to construct an indicator system for the online service functions, and the construction level of NMPOSFs for 57 A-grade tourist attractions in Yangzhou City is evaluated. The main research results are as follows:

(1)

Among the four types of first-level functions, the highest construction level of function is interactive consultation; the second highest construction level of function is information push; the lower construction level of function is electronic business; the lowest construction level of function is local service. Traffic information, introduction of tourist attractions in graphic form and peripheral service information are the second-level functions with the highest construction level. Passenger information, WiFi connection and lost and found are the second-level functions with the lowest construction level.

(2)

The online service functions on different new media platforms are diverse. The Amap platform has the advantage of having the highest number tourist attractions, online service functions and the synthesis score of construction level among five new media platforms, and its online service functions are constructed at the highest level.

(3)

In Yangzhou City, Slender West Lake is the tourist attraction with the highest synthesis score of the construction level of NMPOSF. Most tourist attractions provide online services on three new media platforms. Moreover, as the A-grade of tourist attractions decreases, the degree of tourism NMPOSF construction also decreases.

In the new round of mobile Internet-based tourism wisdom development process, the combination of Internet plus, new media, big data and other information technology with tourism is not only the focus of Chinese tourism industry, but also the trend of global tourism development. In the future, we can use the method proposed in this paper to evaluate the construction level of NMPOSFs for individual, regional or national scenic spots, to help them examine the problems of construction for NMPOSF. Furthermore, improvements in the construction level of NMPOSFs can be guided, helping smart tourism management and services to be upgraded. Nevertheless, from a demand perspective, what is the level of awareness and demand of tourists for different first-level and second-level functions in different types of tourist attractions? The study of these questions can provide more customized theoretical guidance for the construction of NMPOSFs in different types of tourist attractions, which can be further explored in subsequent research.