Repertory Grid Analysis in Group Settings to Elicit Salient Destination Image Attributes

Although repertory grid analysis (RGA) was originally developed in clinical psychology, the technique has been adapted for use in a diverse range of fields. However, the technique is rarely addressed in marketing research texts and has not been fully utilised in the tourism literature. Also, RGA applications have predominantly been reported in the form of personal interviews. The paper reports the first trial of RGA to elicit salient destination image attributes using group settings. This is a replication study, which is compared to a previous application of the technique that involved personal interviews. A key disadvantage of the group settings was the inability to probe participants. Nevertheless, it is suggested the approach provides researchers both an efficient and effective exploratory means for understanding how travellers differentiate a competitive set of destinations. This technique is particularly useful in the development of a structured questionnaire to operationalise destination image.     

Exploring the interplay between the use of risk-related information,risk perception formation,and the stages of travel product consumption

This study examined using patterns of risk and warning-related information by backpackers who develop their own travel risk perceptions. It looked at the preferences of information sources and usage levels among Israeli backpackers. Using a simulating approach, interviewees were asked to report on their preference and usage patterns in four stages of the travel consumption sequence – (a) prior to choice of destination; (b) after choice of destination but before departure; (c) during the trip, and (d) after returning home. Based on a sample of 467 former backpackers, the study revealed that they use a relatively wide range of risk-related sources of information yet their preference and usage levels in those sources vary as they moved from one consumption stage to the other. The most innovative finding of this study is that unlike previous findings there was a significant and direct correlation between the level of risk-related information consumption and the backpackers’ level of risk perception in each of the tourist product consumption stages. Further research directions derived from these findings as well as management implications are provided.     

Is tourism just another staple? A new perspective on tourism in remote regions

According to recent research, countries may have a positive image from a tourism perspective, but they may be seen as lacking from an economic or political viewpoint. As governments and destination management organisations spend large sums of money in promoting tourist attractions, the question of whether these activities also influence other aspects of a country's image becomes relevant. The objective of the research is to determine the effect of tourism promotions on the image of the country and that of the destination as two separate concepts, in the case of Israel, a country subject to continuous conflicts. A 2?×?2 quasi-experimental design is utilised to investigate the influence of tourism promotional brochures. Additionally, a comparative perspective is used to determine whether people from diverse countries and backgrounds may be affected differently by the same information. The findings confirm that tourism brochures influence not only the image of the destination, but also that of the country. These effects are found to be different for respondents from the two different countries compared. The article focuses on understanding how tourism communication strategies may also be used to improve the image of a country, with potential benefits for international marketing and international relations.     

‘Does it Really Affect Me?’ Tourism Destination Narratives,Destination Image,and the Intention to Visit: Examining the Moderating Effect of Narrative Transportation

The extent to which tourism destination marketing narratives with different themes influence readers by imaginatively ‘transporting’ them is quite varied. This study investigates the different degrees of influence such narratives have on destination image and the intention to visit, exploring how the intensity of readers' experiences of being transported by narratives with different themes can influence their intention to visit the places described. Our results reveal the extent to which different narrative themes affect destination image and significantly influence readers' intention to visit. The extent to which narratives with different themes make readers feel transported also has a significant moderating effect on their intention to visit. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.