Brand personality and culture: The role of cultural differences on the impact of brand personality perceptions on tourists' visit intentions

Tourism destinations increasingly use brand-personification strategies to evoke favorable consumer reactions. These reactions, however, may hinge on cultural differences. This paper investigates the relationships among nation brand personality perceptions, consumer brand-self congruity, and the visit intention of a country as a tourism destination. Brand-self congruity is examined as a mediator of the relationship between brand personality perception and visit intention. Of Hofstede's cultural dimensions, individualism and uncertainty avoidance are the most relevant dimensions for brand-self congruity. Based on representative samples of consumers from five countries (Italy, the UK, Czech Republic, Poland, and Russia) and using Slovakia as a sample tourism destination, the effect of individualism and uncertainty avoidance on the relationship between brand self-congruity and visit intention is studied. Individualism and uncertainty avoidance moderate the congruity – visit intention relationship – but in a negative way, contrary to our expectations. Important implications are derived for both tourism research and destination management.     

Linking Travel Motivation,Tourist Self-Image and Destination Brand Personality

Abstract

Despite a growing body of work on destination branding, there has been little investigation of whether or not tourists attribute brand personality characteristics to tourism destinations and whether or not an emotional connection exists based on tourists' perceived self-image and the ‘brand personality’ of destinations. The aim of this study is to explore the links among four key constructs proposed for the destination branding and choice processtourist needs, destination brand personality, self-congruity, and intentions to visit and satisfaction with a visit. The results indicate that where tourists can make an association between a destination and a destination brand personality, and where this association is consistent with their desired holiday experience, a high level of congruity will exist between the tourists' self-image and their perceptions of the destination. In turn this self-congruity was related to satisfaction with a visit to the destination but not to intention to travel to the destination.     

Toward The Perspective Of Cognitive Destination Image And Destination Personality: The Case Of Beijing

Destination personality, as a viable metaphor of destination marketing, has attracted considerable attention, although empirical studies on this concept remain few. Based on tourism marketing literature, a model depicting the relationships among cognitive destination image, destination personality, and behavioral intentions is proposed. Using an on-site survey of 500 foreign tourists visiting Beijing, an emerging destination, the current study empirically validates that (a) competence, excitement, sophistication, and ruggedness are four building blocks of destination personality; (b) built environment, socially responsible environment, and local people are important in projecting destination personality; and (c) destination personalities—such as competence, excitement, and sophistication—drive tourists' behavioral intentions. The current study provides theoretical implication for knowledge advancement and managerial implications for destination marketing.     

Chinese consumers' brand personality perceptions of tourism real estate firms

This study examined Chinese consumers' perceptions of brand personality of tourism real estate firms, and classified Chinese consumers based on their brand personality perceptions towards tourism real estate as a new consumption good. The study identified five brand personality factors: humanity, excitement, status enhancement, professionalism and wellness. K-means cluster analysis further identified three distinct Chinese consumer segments with differentiated brand personality perceptions: status/humanity consumers, wellness seekers and professionalism minders. Discussions regarding culture-specific factors of brand personality in the study were provided with considerations of China's significant socio-cultural changes. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research were also discussed.     

Brand personality of Airbnb: application of user involvement and gender differences

ABSTRACT

In this study we utilized the concept of brand personality to determine how travelers perceived Airbnb as a lodging brand and investigated the effect of involvement level (low versus high) on view of brand personality. As a viable segmentation variable, this study also utilized the interaction effect to examine how gender affects consumers’ involvement level. Significant differences were observed between travelers with high and low involvement in terms of the dimensions of sincerity, excitement, competence, and ruggedness. In addition, we found the interaction effect to be significant, indicating that level of involvement is higher in female travelers than in male travelers. This research will provide meaningful marketing insights for target marketing and positioning based on consumer involvement and gender within the context of Airbnb.     

Development and validation of a destination personality scale for mainland Chinese travelers

This study aims to develop a destination personality scale utilizing a sample of mainland Chinese travelers and examine the impact of this new scale on tourists' travel attitudes and behaviors using a two-step mixed method approach. Results yield an 18-item five-dimensional destination personality scale (competence, sacredness, vibrancy, femininity, and excitement) with desirable reliability, construct validity, and predictive validity. Except for “vibrancy”, the other four dimensions are found to be significant determinants of travelers’ actual self-congruity, ideal self-congruity, and destination loyalty. Results suggest that “competence” and “femininity” are the primary determinants of three criterion variables when all other dimensions are controlled for. This study provides empirical evidence for the necessity of developing a culture-specific destination personality scale under the Chinese cultural context. Destination managers could use this scale to evaluate and identify their primary destination personality characteristics, and adjust their current promotion strategies to target travelers from mainland China more effectively.     

The tourism effect of President Trump's participation on Twitter

This research analyzes the effect of President Donald J. Trump's participation on Twitter on the performance of the United States as a tourism destination as reflected in the market value of tourism the country's tourism industry. Based on the effects that brand associations have on brand image and brand knowledge, this research proposes a conceptual model whereby a destination's association with a public figure might lead this personality's participation in social media to have an effect—derived from the resulting social media sentiment—on consumers' destination's brand knowledge and, consequently, on the incoming flow of travelers to the destination and on the tourism market value. The empirical application carried out on the tweets that the President of the United States posted over more than 150,000 trading minutes shows that the participation of public personalities in social media can have repercussions on the market value of their country's tourism industry.     

Brand personality of tourist destinations: An application of self-congruity theory

The purpose of this research was to investigate the perceived destination personality of Las Vegas and to examine the relationships among destination personality, self-congruity, and tourist’s behavioral intentions. A convenience sample of 382 visitors to Las Vegas was surveyed, and 368 usable questionnaires were analyzed. The findings of the study indicate that tourists ascribe personality characteristics to destinations and that the perceived destination personality of Las Vegas is five dimensional: vibrancy, sophistication, competence, contemporary, and sincerity. These dimensions have a positive influence on tourists’ intention to return and intention to recommend. The study also supports the self-congruity theory within the context of tourism destinations, indicating that both actual congruity and ideal congruity have a positive impact on behavioral intentions. The study concludes that self-congruity is a partial mediator on the relationship between destination personality and tourist’s behavioral intentions. The practical and theoretical implications are discussed within the contexts of destination branding and the self-congruity theory.     

旅游目的地品牌资产驱动因素模型研究——以凤凰古城为例

旅游目的地品牌资产逐渐成为学界关注的焦点,值得深入研究。该文基于已有研究成果,分析旅游目的地品牌资产与品牌知名度、品牌形象、品牌质量、品牌价值、品牌忠诚的结构关系,构建旅游目的地品牌资产驱动因素结构模型。以湖南省凤凰古城为案例,采用问卷调查法获得基础数据,分析发现:旅游目的地品牌知名度、品牌形象、品牌质量通过旅游目的地品牌价值与品牌忠诚对旅游目的地品牌资产产生显著影响,证实了旅游目的地品牌资产的二阶驱动因素模型。具体来看,旅游目的地品牌形象对品牌忠诚的影响最大,而旅游目的地品牌忠诚和品牌资产关联度最大。根据研究结论得到管理启示:第一,全面认识旅游目的地品牌资产的驱动因素,综合递增旅游目的地品牌资产。第二,着力突出旅游目的地品牌资产的核心要素,注重提升旅游目的地品牌形象。第三,认真建设旅游目的地品牌资产的关键内容,致力强化旅游目的地品牌忠诚。     

Achieving destination advocacy and destination loyalty through destination brand identification

Brand identification enhances customer loyalty and develops long-term relationships between the customer and the brand. However, only a few studies have explored the role of identification in building long-term and favorable relationships between tourists and a tourism destination. In this study, we propose and empirically verify destination personality congruence and destination trust as the drivers of destination brand identification, and destination advocacy and destination loyalty as its outcomes. For assessing these proposed relationships, a sample of 342 respondents was collected from foreign tourists visiting Dharamsala, which is a famous tourist destination among visitors in northern India. The results of structural equation modeling reveal that destination personality congruence significantly influences the destination loyalty through destination brand identification. In addition, destination trust emerges as a significant predictor for both destination advocacy and destination loyalty. The study offers important implications for both acadmecians and practitioners.     

海滨城市旅游目的地非功用性定位研究——以大连为例

全球化背景下旅游产品的同质化增强,传统依靠功用属性定位的方法日渐乏力。纳入"情感选择"和"自我一致"机制,研究开发并实际阐释了一个目的地非功用性定位的概念模型。以海滨城市目的地大连相对于其北方4个竞争对手的重定位分析为案例,借助实证研究,识别出最佳情感形象和品牌个性定位因子。最终,提出了对大连非功用性定位的建议性战略,并对研究的理论和实践启示进行了总结。     

The relevance of visitors’ nation brand embeddedness and personality congruence for nation brand identification,visit intentions and advocacy

The identification with a brand enhances loyalty and purchase intentions. Little is known, however, if this relationship holds in a nation brand context and which variables drive nation brand identification (NBI). This study investigates the relevance of nation brand embeddedness (i.e., the social integration of the individual) and personality congruence (i.e., the congruence between an individual’s and a country’s personality) for NBI, nation brand advocacy and visit intentions. A study of 421 Germans as potential visitors of the Republic of Ireland as a holiday destination was conducted to test the proposed relationships. Results from structural equation modeling showed that NBI and personality congruence strongly influence visit intentions, while nation brand embeddedness is a strong predictor of brand advocacy. Important implications for destination management can be derived.     

Destination Image and Brand Personality of Jamaica: A Model of Tourist Behavior

The study examines Jamaica’s destination image and brand personality, and how they relate to future tourist behavior. An integrative model of tourist behavior, involving destination image (cognitive, affective, and overall), destination personality, and behavioral outcomes was developed and tested for first-time and repeat visitors separately. In additon, qualitative questions about destination images and characteristics were used to reveal Jamaica’s specific brand image and personality characteristics. The study found varying influences of cognitive image, affective image, and destination personality on global image and behavioral intentions for first-time and repeat visitors. The qualitative responses revolved around attractions, culture, and environment. The practical implications are discussed.     

The impact of destination source credibility on destination satisfaction: The mediating effects of destination attachment and destination image

Building emotional destination attachment is a key tourism destination branding issue in today's tourism market. The current study aims to develop and test a comprehensive theoretical model for destination branding that borrows the concepts of brand credibility, brand image, brand attachment, and satisfaction. Based on the above concepts, this article hypothesizes the relationships among four constructs, namely, destination source credibility, destination image, and destination attachment as antecedents of destination satisfaction. These relationships are examined for a sample of 398 international tourists visiting a famous world heritage tourism destination (Angkor Wat) and a famous skyscraper (Taipei 101). The SEM indicates that destination source credibility and destination image could indeed affect tourist perceptions of destination satisfaction with regard to destination attachment. In addition, the mediating role of destination attachment and destination image is also confirmed in this study. The findings offer important implications for tourism management and practice.     

人格特质理论视角下东南亚国家对中国旅游形象感知差异研究

国家旅游目的地性格是影响国家旅游形象和国际游客旅游决策的关键因素,对入境旅游市场营销具有指导意义。本文运用内容分析法、扎根理论研究法,对东南亚3个国家的中文主播网络视频、在华留学生及其亲属的访谈内容进行分析,以探究东南亚国家人们对中国旅游目的地性格维度感知强度和差异。研究表明：根据感知强度大小,东南亚国家对中国旅游目的地性格维度感知依次是能力、真诚、魅力、友善和侠义。东南亚国家对中国旅游目的地性格维度感知存在国别差异,其中,越南人和缅甸人的感知总体呈正面,感知维度分别是“友善”“魅力”和“侠义”“斯文”;老挝人感知相对负面,感知维度为“随性”“自我”。据此建议中国加强与东南亚国家的文化交流,区别不同国家人们的感知特点,进一步强化正面性格感知,调整和优化针对负面性格感知的宣传策略。     

Do Blue Flag promotions influence tourists’ willingness to pay a price premium for coastal destinations?

The Blue Flag is a popular eco-label in tourism. This study aims at examining the effectiveness of Blue Flag promotion on tourists' willingness to pay a price premium to coastal destinations via two online experiments. Study 1 shows (n = 152) that the Blue Flag stimulates higher willingness to pay a price premium for coastal destinations directly as well as indirectly through self-congruity and destination brand identification. Study 2 (n = 160) used a new sample to enhance external validity and generalizability of the Study 1 findings. Study 2 shows that destination brand quality and destination brand identification serially mediate the effect of Blue Flag promotions on the tourist's willingness to pay a price premium. The findings suggest that destination managers should deploy the Blue Flag Logo in destination promotions to enhance self-congruence, destination brand identification, perceived destination quality, and the tourist's willingness to pay a price premium.     

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.     

Destination brand identity: scale development and validation

Destination branding has become an important trend in modern tourism. However, few studies have explored the construct of destination brand identity. The purpose of this study is to develop a scale for measuring destination brand identity. We developed the initial constructs and survey questionnaire. Next, two surveys with the respective sample size of 251 and 272 were conducted. Through a rigorous instrument development process, the following five constructs were identified: destination image, destination quality, destination personality, destination awareness, and destination culture. The instrument was proven to have a good fit, reliability, and validity. The multidimensional scale provides an effective instrument for tourists to identify and differentiate a destination brand from other tourism destinations. Implications of these findings for practical applications and suggestions for future research are also provided.     

Development of the Convention Industry in Korea

ABSTRACT

The convention industry in Korea has experienced a rapid development, and the hosting of international meetings and events has emerged as a major business in Korea's tourism industry. This paper provides an overview of the development of the convention industry in Korea and assesses the current convention market by applying SWOT analysis. The country's current marketing strategies are also evaluated. The analysis suggests that Korea has great opportunities to emerge as a new international convention destination in the 21st century. The future growth of Korea's convention industry depends on whether the country can manage the challenges better than competitors with effective marketing strategies.