Conceptual and empirical typologies comprising the intersection of personal and social characteristics of tourists have similarities and differences with respect to image perception of a destination. This study examines characteristics that distinguish tourist typologies formed by the intersection of the all-inclusive holiday experience and destination familiarity. Multiple correspondence analysis reveals differences in clusters in terms of attitudes and demographic factors influencing destination image of tourist typologies.This study aims to present patterns of tourist typologies' image perception for tourist typologies based on empirical data. Based on the findings of this study, practitioners of tourism may divert or channel their marketing efforts to well-defined target segments.
Researchers agree that destination image is a multidimensional and complex structure of attitude. Social psychology suggests that attitudes are composed of affective, cognitive, and conative components. This study contributes to literature with (i) scale development integrating 3 explanatory dimensions of destination image; (ii) utilization of item parceling technique enabling extended depth with sub scales and (iii) by providing supporting evidence with multigroup confirmatory factor analysis that this measurement scale is invariant thus applicable for 3 nationalities namely British, German and Russian tourist. This empirical study provides clarity to number and definition of dimensions with an integrated scale invariant for three nationalities. The survey is carried in summer 2017 at Antalya Airport with a total of 1495 British, German and Russian respondents visiting Antalya region for holiday purposes.
PurposeThe paper aims to analyze cognitive attributes affecting the overall destination image perception of British, German and Russian tourists toward Antalya, a well-positioned mass tourism destination in the East Mediterranean region dominated by an all-inclusive (AI) system.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an empirical study using a structured questionnaire conducted in the summer of 2018 with 274 British, 179 German and 231 Russian tourists departing to their respective source markets from Antalya International Airport. The mean values are used as performance and correlation coefficients of the relationship between each cognitive image dimension and overall image evaluation is used to express importance.FindingsThe paper provides empirical insights that these three nationalities prefer Antalya as an AI holiday destination for different reasons and that each nationality demands attention to different factors of the destination for improvement or preservation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides specific recommendations for AI destinations such as Antalya for the German, British and Russian source markets. When other source markets or types of destinations are considered, the findings of this study should be re-considered. Utilization of the original and modernized importance performance analysis (IPA) plot interpretations in this research reveals a deeper understanding of current findings and provides a new perspective for further research and guidance for destination managers and marketers.Practical implicationsUtilization of both original and modernized IPA plot interpretation in this research not only reveals a deeper understanding of current findings but also provides a new perspective for future studies and guidance for destination managers and marketers.Originality/valueUnlike the majority of destination image research, this study of destination image based on individual nationalities enables tailor-made destination image development according to diversified importance and performance of destination attributes affecting the overall destination image for each nationality.
In destination image studies, researchers often compare individuals and groups with measurement scales. Classical Test Theory (CTT) assumes, when comparing groups, that the scale measures the same social psychological construct in all groups. The assurance of measurement invariance is a prerequisite for meaningful comparisons across groups. This article reviews theoretical and methodological issues regarding measurement invariance within the framework of confirmatory factor analysis, and aims to test the measurement invariance of the destination image scale by nationality and gender. Confirmatory factor analysis assures that scores obtained from a destination image measurement model can be generalized for three nationalities and gender groups. In this respect, the results of the survey provide evidence that the scale can deliver valid and reliable measurements in determining the characteristics of British, German, and Russian tourists without gender bias. Invariance test assures the measurement model to be invariant for both females and males and therefore it is appropriate to compare the results across genders. The findings of this research and analysis methods used provide valuable insights to destination image literature and cast light on the path for future researchers.
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