The implicit measurement of destination image: The application of Implicit Association Tests

The previous studies about destination image measurement mainly focused on measuring tourists’ explicit cognitive processes without measuring their implicit cognitive processes. This study introduces the Implicit Association Test (IAT) into the domain of destination image measurement, and utilizes a traditional questionnaire to measure Chinese tourists’ perceived image of Japan and Hong Kong both at explicit and implicit level. Results show that Chinese tourists’ explicit preference between Japan and Hong Kong is insignificant, but there is significant implicit preference for their perceived image of Hong Kong over that of Japan. This study advances the research on destination image and enriches the method on the measurement of destination image.     

Examining Chinese College Students’ Intention to Travel to Japan Using the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior: Testing Destination Image and the Mediating Role of Travel Constraints

Understanding the decision-making process and predicting travel behavior are critical for destination tourism marketers. This study develops and tests a structural equation model using the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain Chinese college students’ intention to travel to Japan. Ten hypotheses were proposed regarding the relationships between destination image, travel constraints, and the original TPB constructs. The results of structural analyses reveal that the extended TPB has better predictive power for travel intention to Japan than the original one. Attitude is found to have the greatest impact on intention to travel to Japan. The mediating role of travel constraints shows a significantly negative effect on the relationships between the predictors and travel intention except for the relationship between perceived behavioral control and travel intention. The results of this study can help improve marketing promotions and the development of more effective destination positioning strategies for Japanese inbound tourism.     

Exploring the Dimensional Relationships among Image Formation Agents,Destination Image,and Place Attachment from the Perspectives of Pop Star Fans

This study tested a conceptual model in order to examine the role of specific image formation agents in forming destination image and place attachment from the perspective of pop star fans. By examining each construct’s subdimensions, the significant path analysis results supported the proposed model and offered a holistic view of the relationships among the variables, thus extending the literature. Findings suggested that autonomous image formation agents have d3istinct roles in forming destination image and place attachment in comparison with induced and organic agents. The findings highlight the important role of destination image in mediating the relationship between image formation agents and place attachment. This study further revealed a direct impact of image formation agents on place attachment dimensions. Meaningful implications for destination marketers are presented.     

游客的旅游地选择与购买决策模型分析

旅游者的消费行为主要表现在对旅游地和旅游产品的信息接受、感知、选择和决策这一过程中。本文构筑了一个游客对旅游地选择和购买决策的模型,并且分析了这个模型中对游客消费行为起决定作用的因素。通过对这个模型的理解和重要因素的控制,旅游市场营销工作者可以更好地把握游客的消费行为,制订出合理有效的营销计划。     

A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image

Despite the significance of destination branding in both academia and industry, literature on its conceptual development is limited. The current study aims to develop and test a theoretical model of destination branding, which integrates the concepts of the branding and destination image. The study suggests unique image as a new component of destination brand associations. It is proposed that the overall image of the destination (i.e., brand image) is a mediator between its brand associations (i.e., cognitive, affective, and unique image components) and tourists’ future behaviors (i.e., intentions to revisit and recommend). The results confirmed that overall image is influenced by three types of brand associations and is a critical mediator between brand associations and tourists’ future behaviors. In addition, unique image had the second largest impact on the overall image formation, following the cognitive evaluations.     

从韩流看"影视表象"与"旅游地形象"的构筑

近年来在影视作品引发下,韩国大众文化产品在日本广泛流行,形成"韩流"现象,并吸引了大批旅游者前往韩国旅游.现代大众旅游业中,旅游目的地的知名度是引发游客产生出游欲望的重要因素,而影视表象则促进了游客对于目的地集合性关注的形成.表象的特征是替代性与再现性,亦即具有非实在性特征.韩剧虚构的表象世界在与旅游地形象的重叠、交织下得以有形化,从而获得自身的空间性特征.影视旅游中游客通过亲身参与所产生的情感移入,最大程度地实现对影视作品所描绘的理想世界的融入.     

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.     

Destination image as a mediator between perceived risks and revisit intention: A case of post-disaster Japan

Despite the significance of perceived travel risk and destination image, relatively few studies address the effect of perceived travel risks on the formation of destination image, and the mediating role of destination image. This study draws new insights by examining (1) the effects of perceived risks on destination image, and (2) the mediating role of destination image between perceived risks and revisit intention of repeat tourists to a risky destination. With perceived risk and destination image being empirically distinctive constructs, findings revealed that perceived socio-psychological and financial risks influenced both cognitive and affective destination images. Perceived physical risk did not have a significant influence on destination image, although it directly affected revisit intention. Additionally, destination image significantly mediated the relationships between two risks, namely, perceived socio-psychological and financial risks, and revisit intention. Several managerial implications concerning the management of risk perceptions and the promotion of risky destinations are discussed in this study.     

Message framing and regulatory focus effects on destination image formation

This study examines the influence of message framing and how a match or mismatch between message framing and individuals’ regulatory focus can influence their destination image perceptions and visit intentions utilizing attribute framing and regulatory focus fit theories. This study also examines the mediating role of cognitive fluency and emotional state on attribute framing effects on destination image formation and visit intentions. Findings indicate that framing of marketing messages exerts significant influences on consumers' decision making and destination selection process. Consumers under gain-framed message condition tend to have higher destination image perceptions compared to those under loss-framed message conditions. A match between attribute framing and regulatory focus results in formation of better destination image perceptions compared to mismatch. Furthermore, cognitive fluency and emotional state mediate attribute framing effects on destination image formation.     

旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响研究

在旅游市场竞争日趋激烈的背景下,由旅游企业经营所引发的社会责任问题受到广泛关注,但学界关于旅游企业社会责任的影响研究还不够系统和深入.文章将旅游企业社会责任划分为6个方面,将目的地形象划分为认知形象和情感形象两个方面,并构建了旅游企业社会责任对目的地形象及游客忠诚的影响模型.实证研究表明,旅游企业社会责任在目的地形象及游客忠诚形成中发挥非常重要的作用,其中,经济责任、环境责任、游客责任、员工责任和法律责任对认知形象有正向影响,游客责任、员工责任和慈善责任对情感形象有正向影响;认知形象和情感形象不仅对游客忠诚产生直接影响,而且通过游客满意对游客忠诚产生间接作用.相比认知形象,情感形象对游客满意和忠诚的影响作用更大.     

Anime consumer motivation for anime tourism and how to harness it

Although a niche, the consumption of Japanese anime and related products is extensive and expected to grow. This study explores Chinese anime consumer motivation to participate in anime tourism. A mixed method is applied to identify travel motivation factors and to examine their importance across three levels of involvement (anime audience versus anime fans versus otaku), and as based on sociodemographics. Three motivation factors were identified: (1) Blending reality and fantasy, (2) Social belonging, and (3) Self-development, with the latter considered as most important. Results show that the importance of Blending reality and fantasy is higher for consumers with a greater level of involvement in the anime subculture, and the otaku is the most promising group in terms of tourism motivation. Recommendations for anime destination and attraction marketing are suggested.     

Representation of online image of tourist destination: a content analysis of Huangshan

Online image of tourist destination has emerged as a crucial element in the construction of tourist destination image. The destination, along with the online tourism marketers, plays an increasingly significant role in forming online image of tourist destination. This study takes Huangshan as an example and collects photographic and textual information of Huangshan from its official online media and online tourism marketers. Built upon the semiotic theory, content analysis, and visual analysis are employed to explore the online image of Huangshan. The analysis comprises the coding manual formation, coding check, and formal encoding. The results indicate that online image of tourist destination of Huangshan is composed of three elements, that is, tourism resources, tourism facilities, and tourism services, which further comprise several secondary elements. Different information sources with different demonstration focuses of online image of tourist destination elements are different. Consistency tendency is in common among the demonstration of online image of tourist destination elements in different media forms.     

Conceptualizing Destination Brand Equity Dimensions from a Consumer-Based Brand Equity Perspective

This study develops a conceptual framework for destination brand equity that goes beyond image by adapting and expanding a multidimensional consumer-based brand equity scale for application within a tourism context. The empirical results, based on a consumer survey in Malaysia (n?=?326) measuring the brand dimensions of Korea, identify the relational linkages between four principle brand equity dimensions (brand awareness, brand image, brand associations, and brand loyalty), and overall customer-based brand equity. The importance of brand image, associations, and awareness is confirmed, and the mediating role of brand loyalty in building destination brand equity is highlighted.     

Destination image and tourist loyalty: A meta-analysis

Extant literature is inconclusive on the linkage between destination image and tourist loyalty, due to the multi-dimensional nature of the two concepts. The present study attempts to draw some informative conclusions about the relationship through a meta-analysis. A research framework was proposed in which 14 hypotheses were developed. A total of 66 independent studies were synthesized and analyzed. The findings reveal that the impact of destination image on tourist loyalty is significant, with varying degrees. Specifically, overall image has the greatest impact on tourist loyalty, followed by affective image and cognitive image. Cognitive–affective joint image fails to demonstrate a stable impact on tourist loyalty. Of the three levels of tourist loyalty, destination image has the greatest impact on composite loyalty, and then on attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty, successively. The findings are discussed in light of their theoretical and practical implications for destination marketing and management.     

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.     

The relationship between travel constraints and destination image: A case study of Brunei

This study evaluated the relationship between travel constraints and destination image of young travelers to Brunei. This study found a significant relationship between destination image and travel constraints during the early decision-making process. This study concluded travel constraints impact on the formation of destination image during the early decision-making process. Study results contribute to the body of knowledge in two areas. First, four dimensions of travel constraints and three dimensions of perceived destination image were identified. In addition to the 3-dimension hierarchal constraints (structural, intrapersonal, and interpersonal), a new constraint dimension (unfamiliar cultural constraints) was revealed. Second, this study confirmed the relationship between travel constraints and destination image. Relatively few studies address the role of travel constraints to the formation of destination image. This is the first study providing empirical evidence demonstrating Brunei’s destination image and travel constraints impact young travelers during the early decision-making process.     

地域文化差异对旅游者的旅游地意象感知影响——以内蒙古自治区草原旅游地为例

在旅游地意象研究中,学者们一直很重视地域文化差异对旅游地意象感知的影响。文章基于旅游地意象构成模型,采用主成分分析、方差分析等定量方法,以内蒙古草原旅游地为例,对比分析了内蒙古自治区区内和区外两个地域文化组旅游者的草原旅游地意象的认知、情感以及整体意象感知的变化和差异。研究得出以下结论:(1)两个地域文化组旅游者的草原旅游地意象感知都是积极正面的,草原旅游地意象在市场中发挥着积极的作用。(2)区内文化组旅游者的整体意象感知高于区外,但区外文化组却拥有比区内文化组更高的情感意象。在7个认知意象维度中,多数认知意象维度的感知都是区内文化组高于区外文化组。(3)地域文化差异对旅游者的草原旅游地意象感知没有显著影响。本文的研究对于同一文化体系内部的文化差异对旅游地意象的影响研究具有一定的参考价值。     

A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Travel Push and Pull Factors

Abstract

Tourism marketers are confronted with the dilemma of whether standardization or the tailoring of services, products and marketing programs for specific markets is more effective and efficient. It remains to be addressed in tourism research whether travelers from varying cultural backgrounds seek different travel benefits and have different preferences for travel products and services, and to what extent they are similar in their travel behaviors. This research study used national household travel surveys conducted by the Canadian Tourism Commission and U.S. Tourism Industries for a cross-cultural comparison of two different countries, the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Japan. Results showed that travelers from these two countries had different travel motives and benefit-seeking patterns. From a marketing perspective, the branding and positioning of a destination for U.K. and Japanese long-haul travel markets will be more effective if the destination marketing organization (DMO) projects different images within its advertising campaigns. These images should reflect the different travel motivations and benefits desired by the two groups of travelers.     

Destination marketing during and following crises: combating negative images in Asia

The goal of this study is to analyze which strategies Asian officials and marketers have adopted in order to combat stereotypes, negative perceptions, and crises in order to repair destination images and bring back visitors. The study includes qualitative content analyses of news reports, press interviews, and campaigns in order to uncover media policy, strategies, events, and marketing initiatives used since 2008. The conceptual framework used was the “multi-step model for altering place image”, which offers three types of strategies to use in order to repair a destination’s negative image during and after a crisis: source, message, and audience.     

A Path Analytic Model of Visitation Intention Involving Information Sources,Socio-Psychological Motivations,and Destination Image

Abstract

This study develops and tests a model to examine the organization of informational, motivational, and mental constructs on visitation intention in a path analytic framework. The findings indicated that variety (amount) and type of information sources used and socio-psychological travel motivations determine travelers' perceptual/cognitive evaluations that, in turn, form their affection (feelings) about tourist destinations. A traveler's intent to visit, then, is determined by a combination of perceptual/cognitive and affective evaluations, information sources used, and travel motivations. However, destination image (cognition and affect) appeared to mediate the relationship between visitation intention and stimuli (information sources) and consumer factors (socio-psychological travel motivations). Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed and future research areas are suggested to better understand travelers' destination selection process.