The Influence of Destination-Country Image on Prospective Tourists’ Visit Intention: Testing Three Competing Models

The concept of destination-country image (DCI) in tourism context is an integration of two constructs from different fields: country image from international marketing and destination image from tourism. Based on the concept of attitude in the theory of reasoned action and halo effect view, this study explains the macro and micro structures that support DCI, and tests the influence of the original DCI on visit intention of prospective tourists through three competing models. The results show that the macro DCI includes four dimensions: country character, country competence, people character and people competence; the micro DCI is composed of three dimensions: natural attraction, cultural attraction and service facility. Full mediating model is supported, which indicates that macro DCI has an indirect effect on visit intention through micro DCI. This study proposes an integrated construct of the DCI and full mediating model, which adds knowledge of the relationship between original image and potential tourist's visit intention.     

The influence of political conflicts on country image and intention to visit: A study of Israel's image

This paper analyzes the image of Israel, a country subject to continuous conflicts, and the effect of a political event on its image. A measurement model is examined before and after a specific international incident, the Mavi Marmara conflict between Turkey and Israel, in order to understand how this event influences the image that the Turks have of Israel, as well as their intention to visit the place. The results confirm that, when people have previous animosity towards a nation, the image of this country is formed mainly through its affective component and not through its cognitive one. The research concludes that a political conflict between two countries significantly damages the country image through the affective component and boosts the previously held animosity. The incident also increases the negative influence of the affective image on the overall country image and on the intention to visit the place.     

Do strained bilateral relations affect tourists’ desire to visit a country that is a target of animosity?

ABSTRACT

This study examines the attractiveness of destination tourism offerings when the destination country and the source market country are engaged in ongoing political and economic conflict. The study is set in the Russia–United States (US) context, where Russia is the tourism-generating region and the US are the vacation destination. Specifically, the study investigates how the desire of Russian tourists to vacation in the US is affected by perceptions of the US as a country and as a vacation destination, animosity toward the US, and Russian tourists? level of national attachment and ethnocentric tendencies. The study found that country image, destination image, and general animosity have a direct effect on intention to visit. The effects of consumer ethnocentrism and national situational animosity on intention to visit are mediated by destination image and country image respectively.     

Americans' intention to visit Cuba as a medical tourism destination: A destination and country image perspective

This study focuses on Americans' perceptions of and intentional behaviors toward Cuba as a medical tourism destination. Using a survey-based quantitative method, the study examined the effects of Cuba's country image and destination image as well as the perceived cost and quality of its medical tourism services on intention to visit Cuba. The results showed that country image and perceived quality of medical tourism services had the greatest positive influence on Americans' intention to travel to Cuba for medical purposes. The study also supported the positive effect of destination image and the negative effect of perceived costs of medical tourism services on intention to visit Cuba. Lastly, the study findings revealed that the better the country and destination image of Cuba, the lower the perceived cost and the higher the perceived quality of its medical tourism services would be.     

Image,satisfaction, destination and product post-visit behaviours: How do they relate in emerging destinations?

This study proposes a conceptual model that sheds light on how the destination image of emerging tourist destinations relates to tourism satisfaction and intention to subsequently recommend the place and purchase its products. Destination image is studied through three components – cognitive, affective, and unique. Unique image has been overlooked in previous research and few studies focus on its measurement. This study uses a new method of measuring it through text-mining of user-generated blog posts. Findings from a sample of 314 foreign visitors to Sofia, Bulgaria, reveal that the affective image influences tourist satisfaction and post-visit behaviour; the cognitive component has a significant effect on all the constructs, except for tourist satisfaction, whereas unique image only influences the intention to recommend and purchase destination country products. Joining together two streams of research, this study also argues that the intention to recommend a destination spot influences the intention to buy its products.     

Investigating the effect of country image and subjective knowledge on attitudes and behaviors: U.S. Upper Midwesterners’ intentions to consume Korean Food and visit Korea

Korean food (Hansik) is one of the fastest growing cuisines globally. This trend is evident with the number of Korean restaurants scattered around world. An increasing number of Korean restaurants have been observed in the United States, especially in more culturally diverse areas such as major cities on the east and west coasts. However, noticeably less Korean restaurants are seen in the Midwest region. This study investigated the Midwesterners’ intention to try Hansik and further to visit South Korea (henceforth referred to as Korea) based on the country image of Korea and knowledge they have of Korean cuisine, which together influence their attitude toward the new cuisine. The results showed that cognitive image influences the attitude through affective image, and subjective knowledge also influences the respondents’ attitude toward Hansik. As proposed, these constructs have positive influences on both intentions to try Hansik and to visit Korea in the near future. Study implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

The impact of country and destination images on destination loyalty: a construal-level-theory perspective

This study examined the impact of a stereotypical image of a country and the image of a tourism destination on destination loyalty. In particular, this study compared these impacts between two groups of destinations – long- and short-haul international destinations – from the perspective of construal-level theory. Data were collected from 500 Taiwanese tourists in 2014 and analyzed through multiple steps, including MANOVA, ANOVA, CFA, and SEM with multi-group analysis. The results showed that both a widely held image of a country and a destination image are likely to affect tourists’ loyalty to a destination; however, country stereotyping plays a more important role than the destination image does in predicting the behavioral intention to visit a long-haul destination. Theoretical and practical implications for marketing of international destinations are provided.     

Does a Food-themed TV Drama Affect Perceptions of National Image and Intention to Visit a Country? An Empirical Study of Korea TV Drama

A Korean TV drama series (Daejanggeum), with a story line focusing on Korean food, was exported to over 50 countries resulting in a surprisingly popular mega-hit. The popularity of this TV drama, transcended across countries and cultural boundaries, has brought an enhancement to the national image of Korea or national brand, and led to a surge in sales of Korean industrial products, as well as an increased interest in Korean tourism resources. This study attempted to empirically investigate the effects of the TV drama series on the national image and intention to visit Korea as perceived by Chinese diners. Interestingly, the “peculiarity of Korean culture” was a main reason for preferring Korean cuisine, which positively affected the perception of the national image and the intention to visit Korea to partake in food tourism. Further, this study suggests that future studies are needed to compare the results of this research according to national, ethnic, regional, or religious boundaries. The comparison of other ethnic groups will be helpful for establishing different marketing strategies according to the different cohorts with different consumption patterns.     

Film-Induced Tourism as a Vehicle For Destination Marketing: Is it Worth the Efforts?

This study examined the impact of a film on the featured destination's image and travel intentions through comparing the results of a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experiment. Then, the effect of destination attributes and overall image on travel intentions is examined simultaneously through path analysis. The results indicate that the role of the overall image as a mediating variable is not significant as respondents relied more on specific destination image attributes on their intention to visit. This was even more prominent after the viewing of the film. The overall image had the strongest direct effect on visit interest in future for both pretest and posttest.     

Mediating Perceived Travel Constraints: The Role of Destination Image

This study assessed the mediating effects of destination image on the relationship between travel constraints and intention to visit. Structural equation modeling identified that destination image mediates between travel constraints and intention to visit, and thereby the negative impact of perceived constraints on intention to visit could be alleviated through the mediating effect of destination image. Thus, travelers can find the means to alleviate travel constraints through a negotiation mechanism. The findings provide practical implications for effective destination marketing programs in that the negative impact from travel constraints can, to a great extent, be mitigated.     

The Influence of a TV Drama on Visitors’ Perception: A Cross-Cultural Study

The goal of this study is to assess the effects the Korean food featured on the Korean TV drama series Daeganggeum has on the perceptions of national image and intention to visit Korea by residents of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand. Estimates of structural equation models are used for samples from the three countries to produce information for comparing relationships between variables: on preferring Korean food, the national image of Korea, and the intention to visit Korea for food tourism. The results show similarities and differences between the three national groups. Virtually identical models are found for Hong Kong and Taiwan groups. However, the comparison of Hong Kong and Taiwan groups to the Thailand group demonstrate differences. Specifically, in the Thai sample, distinctiveness of Korean food culture significantly increases the intention to visit Korea for food tourism. All three national groups demonstrate that a strong relationship exists between the national image of Korea and the intention to visit Korea for food tourism.     

A comparative assessment of destination image,travel risk perceptions and travel intention by young travellers across three ASEAN countries: a study of German students

This paper seeks to offer a comparative assessment of destination image and travel risk as perceived by young German travellers across three ASEAN countries, namely Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In addition, effects of destination image and travel risk perception on intention to visit are evaluated. The results are drawn based on an online survey of 281 German university students who have recently travelled long-haul, each offering their perceptions of the three countries for analysis. It was found that destination image and travel risk perceptions vary across the studied destinations. Furthermore, destination image factors are discovered to display much stronger relationships with travel intention than the risk factors. The results reveal that travel risk perceptions only had some influence on visit intentions in Vietnam, which is perceived to have higher degrees of risk. Moreover, the relationship between tourist role and destination choice was confirmed.     

Urban air pollution in China: destination image and risk perceptions

Inbound tourist arrivals into China have been declining in recent years, possibly in response to increasing levels of urban air pollution. To examine Westerners’ contemporary views on China as a travel destination, with a particular focus on air pollution, this research surveyed 600 US and Australian residents. An online panel survey collected data on cognitive and affective destination image, cognitive and affective risk perceptions, intention to visit China and key demographic variables. The findings show that, while China's cognitive image attributes were perceived positively, potential travellers expressed negative views about travel risks in China in general and about air quality in particular. Importantly, feelings towards the risk of air quality had a significant negative impact on destination image as well as intention to visit China. The research contributes to theory by highlighting the importance of considering affective risk perceptions in destination image studies. While some market segments seemed less sensitive to air pollution than others, this paper concludes that unless China proactively addresses the problem of air pollution, for example by seeking to stimulate positive feelings, international arrivals may continue to be compromised.     

Effects of TV drama celebrities on national image and behavioral intention

This empirical study attempted to identify the role of TV drama celebrity in explaining audience involvement, perceived national image, and audience behavioral intention. Among many significant findings, emotional and behavioral involvement with TV drama celebrities significantly influenced perceived national image. Perceived national image also had a significant impact on intentions to purchase celebrity-related products and visit film places. However, emotional involvement did not significantly affect intention to purchase celebrity-related products. In examining age and gender as moderating variables, three paths showed significant differences across age cohorts, while a significant path was not found across gender groups.     

The impact of local food specialities on the decision to (re)visit a tourist destination: Market-expanding or business-stealing?

This paper studies how local food specialities can affect the attractiveness of tourist destinations, distinguishing between market-expanding and business-stealing effects. We surveyed 1100 Italians in their home about their intention to visit or revisit three popular mountain resorts in Northern Italy (Valtellina, Valle d’Aosta, Trentino), and about their experience, knowledge, and appreciation of five well-known local food products of these places (Pizzoccheri pasta, Bresaola dried beef, Fontina cheese, Melinda apples, Speck smoked ham). We find that product experience positively affects the likelihood of (re)visiting both a product's place of origin and the other mountain destinations (market-expanding effect). Conversely, the correct identification of the product's place of origin may reduce the intention to (re)visit the other destinations (business-stealing effect). Finally, strong appreciation for a local food speciality has a positive effect only on the intention to (re)visit the place of origin.     

The influence of tourists' monetary and temporal sunk costs on destination trust and visit intention

Although the phenomenon of sunk costs is common in tourism situations, tourism research has largely ignored its effect on tourists. Drawing on prospect theory, cognitive dissonance theory, and signal theory, this study proposed that monetary sunk cost and temporal sunk cost both have significant impact on potential tourists' visit intention. Four scenario-based experiments were performed to test hypothesized relationships. Findings revealed that monetary sunk cost has a negative effect on visit intention, while temporal sunk cost has a positive effect. Good destination reputation attenuates the effects, and destination trust mediates the relationship between sunk cost and visit intention. These studies extend existing theoretical applications by identifying the conditions under which sunk cost can influence tourists' visit intention, and provides relevant practical suggestions for tourism product suppliers and local government departments.     

Country Versus Destination Image in a Developing Country

In contrast to the country of origin studies in international marketing, the tourism literature fails to differentiate between the image of the country and that of the destination as a tourism product. The distinction is important for developing countries suffering from negative country perceptions, as opposed to more positive views regarding the tourism destination. Therefore, this research examines the difference between country and destination image in the context of Turkey, and proposes a scale to measure them. The study also provides evidence of this difference and suggests ways in which the destination's image may contribute to improve the country's general perceptions.     

The role of information sources and image on the intention to visit a medical tourism destination: a cross-cultural analysis

This paper intends to analyze: 1) how information sources, eWOM, and image influence the intention to visit a medical tourism destination;2) the moderating role of culture and 3) cross-cultural differences based on Hofstede’s individualism and uncertainty avoidance. A total of 534 responses were collected using a panel of internet users from six different countries and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and a series of t-tests. The results show that information sources influence cognitive impressions and in conjunction with overall image and medical cognitive image influence the intention to visit a medical tourism destination. Furthermore, individualism and uncertainty avoidance have a moderating effect among these variables and cross-cultural differences exist in the degree of importance given to information sources, eWOM, image perceptions, and intention.     

Behavioral intention of visitors to an Oriental medicine festival: An extended model of goal directed behavior

Despite the importance of Oriental medicine festivals to Oriental medical tourism, little research has been conducted to understand the behavioral intention of visitors to these festivals. Therefore, this study examines the behavioral intention of visitors to a Korean Oriental medicine festival. This study employs the extended model of goal-directed behavior (EMGB) that incorporates two constructs related to Oriental medicine festivals: the Oriental medicine image of festival site (image) and the perception of Oriental medicine (perception). An on-site survey was conducted with 423 visitors attending the Sancheong Herbal Festival in South Korea. Results reveal that attitude, subjective norm, and positive anticipated emotion influenced visitors' desire to attend the festival, which, in turn, influenced their behavioral intentions. Two constructs of image and perception formed positive and significant relationships with attitude toward attending the festival. Practical implications of the study results are discussed.     

Destination Image and Behavior Intention of Travelers to Thailand: the Moderating Effect of Perceived Risk

This study examined the influence of destination image and overall satisfaction toward behavioral intention of travelers to Thailand. The results found that destination image dimensions of quality of hotels and restaurants and cultural and natural attractions significantly influenced overall satisfaction. In addition, overall satisfaction had a positive effect on behavioral intention. This study further investigated the moderating effect of perceived risk on the relationship between overall satisfaction and behavioral intention. Travelers with low perceived risk of these natural disasters had a tendency for greater positive destination image, overall satisfaction, and behavioral intention than travelers with high perceived risk.