Exploring agritourism perceptions through social media: A thematic analysis based on the uses and gratifications theory

Azerbaijan State University of Economics, Department of International Economics and Business, Istiglaliyyet str., 6, AZ1001, Baku, Azerbaijan

^* Corresponding author: ibrahim.niftiyev@unec.edu.az

Abstract

This exploratory study uses Uses and Gratifications (U&'G) theory and thematic analysis (TA) to assess perceptions of the potential of agritourism in Azerbaijan, focusing on the YouTube channel “Country Life Vlog.” The channel, which originates from a small farm in northern Azerbaijan, has enjoyed global success and attracts numerous user comments, providing unfiltered qualitative data. To examine the main themes, 300 random comments were collected from six random videos. The qualitative analysis revealed four themes related to the potential of agritourism. Users commented positively on elements such as food, domestic animals and nature and showed moderate interest in traveling to Azerbaijan. The study used co-occurrence (overlap maps) and word cloud analyzes of the qualitative data set to visualize the most frequently mentioned terms and their relationships. These results are insightful for state tourism agencies, private farms and companies looking to market agritourism in Azerbaijan.