Drawing on the triple bottom line approach for tourism impacts (economic, socio-cultural and environmental) and adopting a non-forced approach for measuring residents' perception of these impacts, ...this study explores the role of residents' place image in shaping their support for tourism development. The tested model proposes that residents' place image affects their perceptions of tourism impacts and in turn their support for tourism development. The results stress the need for a more flexible and resident-oriented measurement of tourism impacts, revealing that more favorable perceptions of the economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts lead to greater support. Moreover, while residents' place image has been largely neglected by tourism development studies, the findings of this study reveal its significance in shaping residents' perception of tourism impacts as well as their level of support. The practical implications of the findings for tourism planning and development are also discussed.
•The need for a non-forced measurement of perceived tourism impacts is highlighted.•Perceived impacts should be explored in line with the triple bottom line approach.•Perceived economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts exercise a positive effect on support.•Place image is central to the understanding of residents' perceived impacts and support.
Limited evidence suggests that the incorporation of both image components (cognitive, affective, and conative) and holistic image is meaningful for predicting tourists' revisit intentions. Extending ...this line of research, the present study aims to unravel the relative influence that each component of image has directly and indirectly, via holistic image, on revisit intentions. In doing so, we incorporate two national samples (British and Russians) of diverse tourist profile and significantly different levels of visitation frequency to investigate place attachment as a moderator. Evidence from 1362 British and 1164 Russian tourists indicated that all image components have a positive indirect effect on revisit intention via holistic image, while conative has also a direct one. As expected, the image components rank differently for British and Russian tourists. The indirect effects of destination images on revisit intention, except conative, are conditional and, interestingly, most of these are stronger for tourists with low PA.
Display omitted
•All three image components and holistic image are crucial for predicting tourist revisit intention.•The relative importance of image components differs between British and Russian tourists.•Holistic image mediates the effect of image components on revisit intention.•Place attachment moderates the effects of images on revisit intention.
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.
•Perceived socio-psychological and financial risks influenced destination images.•Only perceived physical risk directly influenced revisit intention.•Destination images mediated between perceived financial risks and revisit intention.•Destination images mediated between socio-psychological and revisit intention.
Although tourism destination image (TDI) has been extensively studied, the nature and scope of TDI remain vague. This study aims to address this conceptual problem from a modernist perspective. ...Forty-five representative TDI definitions are analyzed, and a new definition is proposed by adopting a “seven-step” procedure derived from definition theory in logic studies. Results show that (1) currently TDI is defined mainly as the mental/total impressions/perceptions held by tourists pertaining to a destination, (2) such definitions are quasi-theoretical in type and created by roughly following the connotative definition technique, (3) the quality of these definitions is generally low, and (4) the new definition proposed in this study better captures the essence of TDI and considerably reduces TDI’s internal and external vagueness. In defining a key tourism concept, this study has notable implications for advancing TDI research and defining tourism concepts more rigorously.
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.
•The study analyses how the destination image relates to satisfaction and intention to recommend the place and its products.•A conceptual model is proposed which adds key variables and relationships to already tested frameworks.•Besides the cognitive and affective components of destination image, unique image is incorporated in the model.•The image components of emerging destinations have different effects on the model evaluative and behavioural variables.
The aim of this study is to investigate the direct relationship
between the environment, culture, sports tourism and economy.
Additionally, in this study, we have used sports tourism as a mediating
...variable in the relationship between environment, culture,
and economy. Moreover, the moderating role of the destination
image in the proposed relationships is examined. To validate the
model, data obtained from 373 Malaysian Ministry of Tourism,
Arts, and Culture employees is incorporated into structural equation
modeling (SEM), PLS 4. According to the findings of this
study, there is a positive and significant relationship between
the environment, culture, sports tourism and the economy.
Additionally, sports tourism mediates the relationship between the
environment, culture, and a country’s economy. Interestingly, the
study also found that destination image does not moderate the
relationship between sports tourism and the economy. Overall,
these findings highlight the importance of a healthy and culturally
rich environment and the potential benefits of sports tourism for
the economy. The findings of this research have important implications
for policymakers and can be helpfully used in the tourism
industry. In practical implications, fostering a healthy environment,
preserving cultural heritage, and promoting sports tourism and
destination image can boost the country’s economy.
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived authenticity, tourists' involvement, and destination image on tourists' experience at a historic district – Litchi Bay, ...China. This study also attempts to examine the mediating effect of destination image on the paths from perceived authenticity and involvement to tourists' satisfaction. Data were collected via an on-site survey and analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Results indicate that perceived authenticity and tourists' involvement in local activities directly contribute to the formation of destination image of the historic district. Tourists' involvement is positively associated with tourists' satisfaction. Destination image fully mediates the relationship between perceived authenticity and tourists' satisfaction, while partially mediates the link between tourists' involvement and satisfaction. Theoretical and managerial implications are elaborated.
•An integral model of tourists' experience at historic districts is tested.•The mediating role of image is addressed.•Image mediates the relationships between authenticity and satisfaction, and between involvement and satisfaction.
This article presents the first narrative analysis of the areas of research that have developed within the destination marketing field since its commencement in 1973. Given the broad extent of the ...field, and the absence of any previous reviews in four decades, a key challenge is in providing a focus for such a disparate body of knowledge. The review is structured around one principal question: ‘To what extent is the Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) responsible for the competitiveness of the destination?’. In pursuit of this underlying question, we address a number of themes including nomenclature and the DMO, the evolution of the destination marketing literature, competitiveness as the DMO reason d'être, and DMO effectiveness including issues of branding and positioning, and future research themes in the field.
•The first comprehensive narrative analysis of the destination marketing literature.•The literature is structured around the key themes DMOs are involved with, in the pursuit of destination competitiveness.•Provides a succinct summary of research opportunities based on key relevant challenges faced by practitioners.
Symbols are powerful in branding and marketing to represent tourist attractions. By bridging semiotics, marketing, and data science in the tourism context, this study uncovers the destination image ...based on Instagram photographs. This study constructed a novel methodological framework by evaluating different machine learning models to group textual information based on pictorial content. The results highlighted specific destination image clusters such as the wilderness and spirituality of alpine experiences. This information facilitates marketers' understanding of tourists’ preferences and movement. It also discloses blind spots that are less promoted by the marketers.