Walking the hidden city: the role of citywalk in shaping destination branding experience

Citywalk, a burgeoning travelling phenomenon, significantly shapes destination branding experience (DBE) construction. Social media posts about citywalk have gained significant exposure on platforms like Xiaohongshu, one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in mainland China. Contemporary tourism research identifies six DBE dimensions: sensory, affective, behavioural, cognitive, spiritual, and relational. However, how these DBE dimensions are reflected in tourists’ citywalk experiences on social media remains unclear. Few studies have examined how young citywalkers reveal their DBE through Xiaohongshu posts. This study aims to investigate the citywalkers’ experiences by aligning them with six DBE dimensions. Utilising netnography and analyzing Xiaohongshu posts, this study highlights the multi-dimensional experience fostered by citywalks, surpassing the conventional focus on brand experience dimensions in marketing research. Except for cognitive experience, other dimensions of experience demonstrate potential interactions among themselves.