Instagram public and private images as an element for the spatial monitoring of tourist behaviour in cities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether publicly shared images on Instagram are representative of tourist behaviour in a destination. This aspect is crucial for destination image management, as it can influence the way tourists perceive the destination. Design/methodology/approach The research compares three different factors: the route followed by a group of tourists, the whole set of photographs taken by them and the images that they made publicly available on Instagram. It relies on a field work done by a group of 122 tourists in Turin (Italy). At a qualitative level, the answers given by tourists to the motivations that led them to share some of the image are analysed. Findings The results showed how the spatial distribution of the images shared publicly on Instagram only partially coincides with the whole set of images taken by tourists. Practical implications It is important to avoid basing marketing and management policies on just the places featured in publicly shared images. If not, there is a risk of taking decisions based on the behaviour of some, rather than all, tourists. Originality/value Many papers claim to be based on the Instagram image as elements to study tourism. However, most of these papers only analyse public images. This fact can affect the results as there may be, for example, areas visited by tourists where photos are not taken. This paper therefore contributes to a better understanding of Instagram as a tool for the study of urban tourism.