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.     

Travel risk dimensions,personal-related factors,and intention to visit a destination: a study of young educated German adults

The study examines travel risk dimensions and their relationships with tourist role, past visit experience, gender and intention to visit Thailand among young educated German adults. Using an online survey of 323 German university students, six dimensions of travel risk perception and their relationships with tourist role and past travel experience were revealed. Over-commercialisation risk was found to be the most concerned risk and produce different relationships with tourist role and travel experience from other types of risks. Although political risk was of least concern, it was confirmed as the only risk having a negative influence on travel intention.     

The impact of tourism mini-movies on destination image: The influence of travel motivation and advertising disclosure

Despite the growing use of mini-movies by tourism marketers, the effectiveness of this approach on inducing positive destination image remains relatively unexplored. This study examines the effectiveness of mini-movies in facilitating positive destination image while considering the influence of travel motivation and advertising disclosure via a 2 (travel motivation prime: presence versus absence) × 2 (advertising: disclosure versus non-disclosure) between-subjects experimental design. The methodology details the process of eliciting an individual's memorable tourism experience to prime future travel motivations. The study discusses implications for destinations that are looking to leverage the impact of mini-movies in their branding strategies.

Abbreviations: DMO: destination marketing organization; SD: standard deviation; ANOVA: analysis of variance     

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.     

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.     

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.