Investigating tourist destination choice: Effect of destination image from social network members

This paper aims to investigate tourist destination choice, focusing on the research question how and to what extent the destination images of tourists' social network members influence their choice behavior. To this end, data were collected using a sequential stated adaptation choice experiment, in which respondents were requested to choose a tourist destination from a single choice set twice, once before and once after being informed about the destination image of social network members. A discrete choice model was estimated to investigate tourists’ choices. The estimation results revealed that the destination image of social network members allow tourists to update their existing knowledge toward destinations, through which their choice behavior is influenced. Tourists tend to adopt their destination image of social network members no matter whether they have a prior image or not. The magnitude of this social influence depends on the properties of the social networks.     

基于地方情感的旅游目的地选择模型建构研究

旅游目的地选择模型建构的研究多数以微观经济学、认知心理学与市场营销学等为基础理论，较少从个体与地方感情连结的视角探讨游客旅游目的地选择决策行为。文章以旅游目的地选择为研究主轴概念，结合地方情感概念中的旅游目的地意象和地方依恋，根据研究文献梳理结果、基础理论界定模型建构的路径变量与逻辑框架，进而提出基于地方情感的旅游目的地选择模型及模型过程步骤。文章建构模型表明，游客旅游目的地选择始于旅游目的地意象的形成，随着整体认知意象的深化，游客对旅游目的地将产生地方认同感，再通过选择决策行为选择意向的旅游目的地从事旅游活动，通过对旅游目的地旅游体验的功能满足产生依赖感，最终形成对旅游目的地的地方依恋感。研究成果对于旅游目的地选择具有交叉研究的创新价值，对于旅游目的地市场战略规划实践活动而言具有参照价值。     

MODELING SEQUENTIAL TOURIST FLOWS: WHERE IS THE NEXT DESTINATION?

This paper analyzes the subsequent decisions of tourists with respect to sequential destinations: why they visit a given destination after visiting a previous one and where they are most likely to go. Using a dataset from an on-site tourist survey in Nanjing, China, we study this decision process by partitioning it into three stages, and a nested logit model is used to estimate the determinants in each stage. Apart from the individual characteristics of tourists and destination attributes, we find that the spatial configuration of destinations (spatial structure) also tends to influence tourists’ destination choice. Finally, a series of simulations are carried out to understand the competition/substitution patterns between subsequent destinations.     

Sequential choice behavior: Going on vacation and type of destination

The literature of destination choice has so far studied multi-stage decision making processes that are more representative of the general choice behavior of tourists (e.g. going on vacation, going abroad, and destination country). Alternatively, this study proposes a multi-stage decision process to the choice of tourist destination types (going on vacation, coastal character, and urban character of the destination) as these choice sets are more idiosyncratic to tourists who prefer a specific type of tourist destination (e.g. Spain with clear coastal and inland variations). In order to test this multi-stage choice process as well as the sequential order of both decisions, coastal character and urban character, the current study analyses decision processes vs. different hierarchical multi-stage processes (going on vacation and coastal character preceding urban character; and going on vacation and urban character preceding coastal character). The empirical findings support the existence of a multi-stage choice process where coastal character precedes the urban character destination choice. The main implication of these findings is that, given the limited human analytical capability, a hierarchical choice process can be useful to handle the information overload and the complexity inherent to the destination type choice.     

Measuring comparative destination performance: A study in Spain and Turkey

Abstract

Competitiveness between tourist destinations has increased due to the development of international tourism activity over the last two decades. This brings the importance of the assessment of destination performance vis‐à‐vis other similar and competing destinations. Therefore, this study attempts to develop an approach for the measure of destination performance and its comparison with another destination by using the data obtained from the actual tourists visiting both places. Two types of questionnaire are developed and their findings are found to be consistent. Empirical findings indicate that each destination has its own strengths. Implications and limitations of the study are also discussed.     

The effect of Cultural Intelligence on consumer-based destination brand equity

Achieving destination appeal and competitiveness is a major priority of tourist destination managers. They must implement new strategies that are distinct from those of their competitors and that influence tourists’ perceptions, attitudes and behaviors and reinforce the brand equity of the destination. The present work focuses on Cultural Intelligence (CQ). CQ increasingly features in business strategy due to the effect of cultural differences and diversity on tourist behavior. The aim is to propose and validate a model that captures the effect of tourists’ CQ on their evaluation of the destination. Using a sample of 503 tourists visiting Spain, the study demonstrates that a tourist’s CQ influences their assessment of destination brand equity and that this relationship is moderated by tourism type. The paper presents a series of implications of interest both to scholars and professionals in the tourism sector.     

Characterizing destination networks through mobility traces of international tourists — A case study using a nationwide mobile positioning dataset

This article demonstrates how large-scale tourist mobility data can be linked with network science approaches to better understand tourism destinations and their interactions. By analyzing a mobile positioning dataset that captures the nationality and movement patterns of foreign tourists to South Korea, we employ a few metrics to quantify the network properties of tourism destinations, aiming to reveal the collective dynamics of tourist movements and key differences across nationalities. According to the results, the number of inbound tourists to destinations follows a log-normal distribution, which indicates a notable heterogeneity of destination attractiveness. Although this finding holds across different nationalities, we find that tourists from different countries tended to visit different places in South Korea. A community detection algorithm partitions South Korea into several tourism regions, each covering a set of destinations that are closely connected by tourist flows. The implications for transportation development and regional tourism planning are discussed.     

旅游者恢复性环境感知与游后行为意向——影响机制和边界条件

游客恢复性环境感知作为联结旅游体验和健康的重要环节,是游客与旅游地环境交融形成的综合性体验,是游客管理研究的新视角,但游客恢复性环境感知对游后行为意向的积极效用还未得到深入理解。文章从注意恢复理论出发,应用Mehrabian-Rusell模型,探讨游客恢复性感知、满意度对游后行为意向的影响及游客涉入的调节作用。通过问卷调查收集数据,得到547个有效样本,使用结构方程建模。研究发现:游客功能类恢复性感知(一致性、新奇)正向影响情感类恢复性感知(迷人、兼容性、逃逸);兼容性比迷人对满意度的正向影响更大;新奇比逃逸对游后行为意向的正向影响更大;兼容性与满意度在"一致性、新奇-游后行为意向"的结构中有多重链式中介作用;迷人、兼容性对满意度的影响受游客涉入的正调节。游客恢复性感知对游后行为意向的影响过程表现为"环境刺激认知-情感-意向"三阶段传递机制。最后讨论了上述发现对目的地营销与管理的启示。     

The influence of travel photo editing on tourists’ experiences

Photo editing has become a prevalent practice when people share their travel photos on social media. This study examines this understudied phenomenon by exploring travelers' photo-editing behavior and its impact on tourists' destination experiences. Three pilot interviews and 23 in-depth interviews were conducted using photo-elicitation. The results show that photo editing does not necessarily alter the objective part of the trip memories, but rather reminds tourists of more positive than negative memories. Compliments from the social media audience on the edited photos improve tourists' overall recall of their destination experiences and further enhance their reflection on these experiences. The findings also enrich the understanding of the hermeneutic circle of representation in tourists’ photo editing behavior.     

Development and validation of a multidimensional tourist’s local food consumption value (TLFCV) scale

This study is to test whether consumption value theory can be applied to food tourism in a tourism destination. Despite its importance, few studies have explored the types of local food consumption value that tourists obtain in a destination. This study sought to develop and validate a scale of local food consumption value from a tourist perspective. As a result, a seven-factor structure was generated. The overall construct demonstrated satisfactory levels of reliability and validity. The value on their satisfaction with tasting local food, positive post-purchase intention, and food destination image varied by cultural region. Future research is expected to benefit from using the validated measurement to understand the unexplored aspects of tourists’ local food consumption.     

Tourism Brochures: Usefulness and Image

Tourist information has been shown to have an important influence on the choice of vacation destinations. This article studies brochures, their significance as image generators, and their influence on the selection of destinations. The study sought to discover which features in this medium are more relevant in image generation and destination choice using logistic regression analysis. The analysis is based on data collected from tourists in Madrid, Spain. The results establish a model of usefulness of brochures in order to propose recommendations for their design and content. Implications pertain to the development of theoretical understandings about the influence of the information sources on destination image, destination choice, and satisfying tourist needs.     

Gazes and faces in tourist photography

The article illuminates one of the central ethical questions concerning tourist photography: the ways in which tourists photograph local people in tourist destinations. In line with the previous research on tourist photography, the study suggests that tourists’ experiences of responsible behaviour become continuously re-defined and negotiated in relations with others. Through a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of tourists’ accounts, the study focusses on the role of the face in photography; that is, how encountering the face of the other interrupts the photographer and calls for heightened responsibility and reflection. Drawing on the Levinasian idea of ethics as being-for-the-other, the article visualizes relational ethics that do not originate from the tourist’s gaze, but from the face of the other.     

Toward an integrated model of tourist expectation formation and gender difference

This study aims to build and test a theoretical model of tourist expectation formation and seeks to explore the gender differences regarding how tourists form their expectations toward a travel destination. Survey data were obtained from 774 outbound Chinese tourists to Macao, and structural equation modelling was used to test the model and proposed hypotheses. The results reveal that travel motivation, advertising, and word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations influence travelers' cognitive image and cognitive image interacts with affective image to form individuals' expectations toward travel destinations. Notably, the impacts of travel motivation and advertising on cognitive image, and of cognitive image on tourist expectations were significantly stronger for males than females, while the effects of WOM on cognitive image and of affective image on tourist expectations were stronger for females than males. Both theoretical and practical implications of these important findings are discussed.     

Examining How Country Image Influences Destination Image in a Behavioral Intentions Model: The Cases of Lloret De Mar (Spain) and Cancun (Mexico)

Understanding the importance of a country’s image in the behavioral intentions of tourists is essential for sun-and-sand destinations. This study examines an integrated model of behavioral intentions regarding two international tourist destinations, namely Cancun (Mexico) and Lloret de Mar (Spain). The results indicate that country image influences destination image; destination image influences value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions; value influences satisfaction; and satisfaction influences behavioral intentions. These findings confirm that the country and destination images are different constructs, and that destination image is the key to attracting tourists. Additionally, there are some differences in the relationships hypothesized in the model among the destinations.     

The xenophobic tourist

Addressing the global rise of xenophobia, the authors provide the first investigation of tourist xenophobia (TXO) and its role in shaping tourist behavior. Drawing on research from evolutionary and social psychology, they define TXO as a tourist’s perceptual discomfort and anxiety associated with strangers encountered at foreign destinations. The authors develop a reliable, valid and parsimonious TXO scale, and document its importance empirically. The results show that TXO is an important driver behind many, often neglected, behavioral phenomena, such as tourists’ preference for travel-related vaccination, willingness to try local food, preference for group travel, travel insurance and agency-booked travel, willingness to travel and actual travel behavior. The authors conclude by discussing implications of the findings for research, practice and policy.     

Reliving self-presentational concerns in rural tourism

Tourists are known to behave differently from their home environment, a phenomenon that has been well interpreted by sociologists in early conceptual works. By investigating tourists’ self-presentational concerns, this study attempts to provide a psychological explanation of this phenomenon, as well as empirical evidence to test it in the context of rural tourism. Through a mixed-design questionnaire survey, the study shows that destination environment may function as the back stage for tourists to do away with the social constraints at home and relieve their daily self-presentational concerns. Specifically, rural destinations perform better than urban destinations in reducing urban residents’ self-presentational concerns but this advantage becomes weaker as tourists stay longer at the destinations.     

Economics of tourist's consumption behaviour: Some evidence from Australia

This study analyses the consumption behaviour of international tourists from Australia's four major source markets: New Zealand, UK, USA and Japan. A preliminary analysis of their consumption expenditures reveals intriguing similarities as well as diversities in consumption patterns. These are sought to understand in terms of the utility-maximising framework in which observed differences in prices and incomes play a key role. Based on the neoclassical economic theory of consumer behaviour, models incorporating five major components of tourist consumption – Accommodation, Food, Transport, Shopping and Entertainment- are estimated. Overall, the level of tourist consumption is found to be highly sensitive to incomes but less sensitive to prices. The low price sensitivity suggests tourists perceive the commodities as necessities and may also reflect their captivity at the destination, masking the underlying true price sensitivities. An important dimension underlying these findings is the possible lack of information about the destination leading to sub-optimal consumption choices.     

Tourists’ happiness: are there smart tourism technology effects?

The purpose of this study is to develop a research model demonstrating tourists’ value-seeking processes through the tourism services and travel experiences of a destination. The model suggests that tourist happiness is assessed by tourists’ perceived experiences, which are formed by two motivational values: smart tourism technology (STT) and destination value. Despite a large quantity of research attention on destination tourism, the relation between tourists’ destination experience and STT has been less enthusiastically studied. Therefore, this study proposes to test an integrated model with attributes of STTs and destination values that contribute to tourists’ life happiness. The results of this study, from a survey of 191 foreign tourists in Seoul, South Korea, indicate that tourists are likely to put more value on what they perceived from their destination travel experiences than what they perceived from their experiences with STT services when they evaluate their overall happiness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.