The development of a destination through the image assessment of six geographic markets

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to assess the image of a newly developed nature-based tourist destination and investigate the influence of distance on the image of the destination. The image was assessed on a seven-point Likert scale and the sampling comprised six dominant market areas (DMAs) that were various distances from the nature-based destination. The internet survey resulted in 610 respondents and a 45 per cent response rate of the log-in panelists. The analysis used analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the information sources, positioning, and the 28 image attributes with the DMAs, and the image attributes were used in a discriminant analysis. The analysis indicated that not all nearby and long-distance geographic markets are uniform. On-site visitation apparently was a factor in creating complex perceptions of the image of the destination. A differentiated message that is cost-effective should be pursed with individual DMAs and clusters of DMAs.

Understanding Consumer Decision-making in Tourism Sector: Conjoint Analysis

“…An important role in choosing a destination is played by the mental image a tourist has about a particular area, which takes into account the interests, the beliefs, and the attitudes of that person, but is influenced by the common mental and public image of the destination (Obenour, W, Langfelder, J, & Groves, D, 2005).…”

The Relationship between Destination Image, Food Image, and Revisiting Pattaya, Thailand

“…Chalip, Green, & Hill (2003) studied the effect of destination advertising and sports media by asking participants in the USA and New Zealand to rate the image of Australia's Gold Coast by a developed 40 items 'destination image' scale based on 9 cognitive factors: developed environment, natural environment, value, sightseeing opportunities, risk, novelty, climate, convenience, and family environment. While Obenour, Lengfelder, & Groves (2005) purposed their research to assess the image of a newly developed nature-based tourist destination and investigate the influence of distance on the image of the destination by an internet survey of 610 respondents, Obenor et al (2005) developed a 28 items scale with 6 image factors such as; priority, attractiveness for overnights, resources, facilities, peripheral attractiveness, and reputation. Hui and Wan (2003) studied tourists' image toward Singapore using 8 cognitive image dimensions, consisting of; leisure and tourist amenities, shopping and food paradise, local residents and nightlife, political stability, adventure and weather, culture, cleanliness, and personal safety and convenience.…”

The functional-psychological continuum in the cognitive image of a destination: A confirmatory analysis

“…Nevertheless, Crompton (1979) posits that the image is not only an individual and subjective perception but can also correspond to a group perspective. He therefore considers that the image also includes a social part, reflected in the perception held by a segment of tourists (Obenour, Lengfelder, & Groves, 2005).…”

“…Various authors (Beerli & Martín, 2004a;Grosspietsch, 2006) highlight the study by Echtner and Ritchie (1993) as an exception to this, given the conceptual and methodological rigour applied by the authors. Also, this study has been used as the basis for numerous other studies, such as those by Chen (2001), Grosspietsch (2006) and Obenour et al (2005), among others.…”