Glamping as a Bourgeoisie Fantasy: The Symbolic Meaning Behind Ritualized Scenes

Abstract

Cultivating a luxurious ambiance and kindling a bourgeois fantasy of a high-quality lifestyle, glamping has increasingly been viewed a consumption ritual. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the composition of ritual scenes in glamping and the symbolic meaning behind them. We obtained 3,176 text reviews and 22,379 photos from Ctrip. Utilizing visual identification and textual mining, this study revealed three categories of ritual scenes in glamping (environmental, activity, and equipment), and four types of ritual symbolism (self-renewal, self-participation, self-presentation, and social connection). The findings highlight that glamping goes beyond simple enjoyment and becomes a way for customers to build social networks and claim a bourgeoisie-lifestyle identity.