Live streaming tour guide performances: a dramaturgical theory perspective

Live streaming significantly transforms traditional tour guiding yet has received limited academic attention. Grounded in dramaturgical theory, this study proposes an analytical framework for evaluating live streaming tour guide performances, comprising three elements (Stage, Team, Screenplay) and 27 observable indicators. Using data from the Chinese social media platform Douyin, we analyse live streaming tour guides’ performances and develop a performance-based typology, categorising them into three types: promotion-centred, sightseeing-oriented, and interpretation-focused. This study adapts dramaturgical theory to live streaming tour guides, enriching live streaming and tour guide literature, and providing practical insights for the professional development of live streaming tour guides.