Henry Chow

Henry’s research
”In my PhD project, I study the connection between Korean television dramas and tourism. Of course, media and tourism companies play influential roles, but government initiatives, fan communities and individual tourists also shape the kind of tourism in a particular location. It is fascinating to find the traces of tourist behaviour in its setting: did a television drama start the practice of placing a ‘love lock’ at Namsan Seoul Tower? Does the upscale French restaurant on top of the tower benefit from this? What images and narratives are presented on official promotional materials, or individual social media accounts? Does this affect how people think of Koreans as potential romantic partners? The complex meanings involved in a simple act open up a great deal of questions."

Why Place, Culture and Tourism?
"The essentially place-bound and face-to-face nature of tourism makes it a promising source of sustainable employment for both growing cities and depopulating rural regions. But tourism is about much more than just economics and management – there’s something about travelling that captures our imagination. For many of us, travelling offers the prospect of gaining rich, meaningful experiences that are unattainable at home. I would like to know why that is: Is wanderlust something universal? While scientific answers for such questions are hard to come by, linking the study of ‘tourism’ theoretically to ‘place’ and ‘culture’ has produced some of the more interesting suggestions."

After the PhD
"I enjoy research and teaching very much, so opting for an academic career seems like a logical choice after my PhD (when I finish!). Nevertheless, I have been in touch with television producers, policy advisors, marketing professionals, hotel managers, sculpture artists, and people from many other walks of life in just my first year on the research project – so my decision could very well change!”