Tourists’ real-time destination image of Kuala Lumpur

Purpose This paper aims to capture real-time images of tourists during their visitation. This effort is to clarify a debate among scholars that there is a lack of current effort to genuinely represent an accurate image of the tourist experience during their visit. Previous studies on destination image focused on measuring and successfully capturing the tourists' perceived image using the perspective of “before and after” visitation. Design/methodology/approach The paper applies volunteer-employed photography and questionnaire methods to capture real-time tourist images. The paper was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, involving 384 international tourists. The data are analysed by supplemental photo analysis, was categorised into manifest and latent content. Findings The paper provides empirical insights into the changes in tourists' image when visiting an urban destination. The insights suggest that a city's image during visitation continuously changes based on the tourists' movement and preferences. Practical implications The findings of this paper are critical in assisting tourism agencies and authorities in portraying an accurate image to achieve greater tourism satisfaction. Originality/value This paper contributes to the interpretation and portrayal of the real-time image of Kuala Lumpur based on the manifest and latent content of the photos taken.