USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS IN TOURISM RESEARCH

This research note uses a case study approach to illustrate when and how to apply thematic analysis as a tool to interpret empirical material in tourism research and suggests a variety of research contexts in which its use may be appropriate. The case study demonstrates the value of thematic analysis in understanding and unpacking a body of rich, descriptive media text ( such as magazine articles, social media, and marketing material). This note also establishes that thematic analysis can be successfully used with visual material, taking intertextuality into account to facilitate a well-balanced interpretation of underlying cultural meanings. A further strength is the ability to produce graphic representations of the analysis, which then provide a suitable structure for discussing the findings. Using research carried out on second-home articles in a New Zealand magazine from 1936 to 2012 to illustrate the process, a step by step description of how to apply thematic analysis to written and visual text is provided. It also provides a set of criteria to ensure the trustworthiness of the research output, and as such is a valuable guide to carrying out a rigorous thematic analysis of texts in a variety of tourism research contexts.