Tourism Image and Visitor's Behavior

A special issue of Tourism and Hospitality (ISSN 2673-5768).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2022) | Viewed by 22375

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Tourism, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
Interests: destination image; tourist behavior; urban tourism; cultural tourism; guiding

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Co-Guest Editor
Business Organisation and Management Department, Faculty of Tourism, University of Girona; Girona 17004, Spain
Interests: tourism image; branding; destination management; tourist behavior
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The image of different tourist destinations has been one of the most studied topics during the last three decades, with previous research recognizing its power not only to influence visitors’ decision making and tourist behavior, but also to determine the competitiveness of a given destinations. Thus, tourist destinations must manage their image well in order to be popular and successful.

Tourists perceive a set of attributes and mental constructions related to a place. This is a slow process based on the accumulation of their own experiences and information from various sources (cinema, literature, advertising, social networks, etc.). As a result, the perceived overall image of a destination may influence both decision-making processes and onsite behavior. Therefore, the tourist image becomes a relevant factor that stimulates “consumption” of the space (selection of visited monuments and attractions, itinerary followed, etc.) and the tourist gaze (expectations, angles from which sites are looked at, etc.).

Although there has been extensive research on destination image and visitor behavior separately, however, it seems that studies that relate tourism image and tourist behavior are scarce; thus, our understanding of how image influences the behavioral patterns of visitors is incomplete. For example, the influence of the image disseminated and perceived by information sources (online and offline) on actual behavior, film-induced destination image and consequent tourist behavior, neuromarketing and its role in decision making and place visitation, consequences of tourist-phobia and negative perceptions of in situ behavior and decision making, and destination image impacts on pre-, post-, and on-site behavior are poorly understood at present.

This Special Issue aims to attract high-quality papers that analyze the effect of image on the behavior of visitors in tourist destinations, in order to achieve a better comprehension of its relationship. Both qualitative and quantitative studies are welcome.

Dr. Nuria Galí
Dr. Raquel Camprubí
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tourism and Hospitality is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • destination image
  • on-site behavior
  • information sources
  • destination choice
  • negative image
  • behavioral intentions
  • space consumption
  • visitor experience

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3907 KiB  
Article
Expressing the Experience: An Analysis of Airbnb Customer Sentiments
by Anna Isabelle Gomes Pereira Santos, André Riani Costa Perinotto, Jakson Renner Rodrigues Soares, Tiago Savi Mondo and Priscila Cembranel
Tour. Hosp. 2022, 3(3), 685-705; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3030042 - 3 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 7209
Abstract
There is a growing interest in research related to Airbnb, and one theme that has stood out is the analysis of the consumer experience. This study aimed to analyse the feelings expressed in the online evaluation of users on the Airbnb platform in [...] Read more.
There is a growing interest in research related to Airbnb, and one theme that has stood out is the analysis of the consumer experience. This study aimed to analyse the feelings expressed in the online evaluation of users on the Airbnb platform in Fortaleza, capital of Ceará, Brazil. The methodology was developed through quali-quantitative research, a documentary research procedure, and data collection regarding the accommodation offers available on the platform. A total of 2353 reviews in 2019 and 2020 related to 506 accommodation offers were analysed through manual coding with the aid of NVivo software. The results evidenced the positivity of the evaluations, and that positive comments presented fewer characters while negative evaluations presented more details. It was identified that there were differences in the percentages of positive and negative evaluations when differentiated by other factors such as gender of the user (women evaluated more positively and intensely), type of host (superhost evaluations were more positive), type of offer (for entire places, the positive polarity was lower than the private room and shared room types), and location (the positive polarity was higher in residential neighbourhoods than in tourist neighbourhoods). Methodologically, this study contributes by illustrating how a set of evaluations can be analysed and interpreted in studies on the accommodation service. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism Image and Visitor's Behavior)
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19 pages, 1102 KiB  
Article
Sense of Place: Narrating Emotional Experiences of Malaysian Borneo through Western Travel Blogs
by Siao Fui Wong, Balvinder Kaur Kler and Bamini KPD Balakrishnan
Tour. Hosp. 2022, 3(3), 666-684; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3030041 - 20 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3477
Abstract
Tourists’ sense of place or destination attachment could play an important role in destination branding. Yet, sense of place literature focuses on residents as the concept originates from a long-term residence in one place. This study explores the role of destination attachment based [...] Read more.
Tourists’ sense of place or destination attachment could play an important role in destination branding. Yet, sense of place literature focuses on residents as the concept originates from a long-term residence in one place. This study explores the role of destination attachment based on tourist experience for branding based on a case study in Malaysian Borneo. A qualitative content analysis using QCAmap of 34 blogs extracted 116 blogposts with narratives containing emotional sentiments from international tourists. Findings uncovered six important attributes: namely nature, adventure, environment, culture, conservation, and education associated with destination attachment. Findings show that these attributes are interconnected as the main attribute, nature, produces other attributes. A tourists’ sense of place model for destination attachment is proposed to understand how tourists develop attachment to a place. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism Image and Visitor's Behavior)
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16 pages, 968 KiB  
Article
Understanding Destination Value Co-Creation on Social Media: An Application of Travel Blog Analysis
by Han Xu, Jon C. Lovett and Rob Law
Tour. Hosp. 2022, 3(3), 573-588; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3030035 - 27 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4307
Abstract
The sharing of travel experiences through social media platforms reflects contemporary consumer culture, but it is still a phenomenon being researched in tourism literature. In this paper, we theorize that sharing travel experience through social media may operate as a distinct social communication [...] Read more.
The sharing of travel experiences through social media platforms reflects contemporary consumer culture, but it is still a phenomenon being researched in tourism literature. In this paper, we theorize that sharing travel experience through social media may operate as a distinct social communication process, and investigate how it contributes to the co-creation of destination value. A qualitative analysis of 97 travel blogs reveals three distinct themes that have the potential for co-creating destination value: motivation, memorable travel experiences, and advice. The results indicate that tourists and destination marketers interpret destination value differently in motivation. The sharing of memorable travel experiences and advice with readers and fellow tourists improves potential tourists’ cognition and emotional connection to the destination, thereby increasing the level of tourist destination engagement. The extension of the consumer socialization framework provides a deeper understanding of the destination value co-creation process, and provides useful insights for destination promotion and management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism Image and Visitor's Behavior)
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21 pages, 470 KiB  
Article
Exploring “Smart and Green” Concepts: A New Synergy for Irish Hospitality
by Yi Sheng Tan and Angela S. Wright
Tour. Hosp. 2022, 3(1), 276-296; https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp3010019 - 1 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5678
Abstract
The spotlight on “smart and green” has never been so bright and, within the hotel sector, emphasis on opportunities such as sustainability and digitisation are quickly shaping the agenda. This paper explores key components of the “smart and green” agenda among Irish hotels [...] Read more.
The spotlight on “smart and green” has never been so bright and, within the hotel sector, emphasis on opportunities such as sustainability and digitisation are quickly shaping the agenda. This paper explores key components of the “smart and green” agenda among Irish hotels in the Republic of Ireland and how these concepts relate to their public customer image. While the multifaceted hybrid model of “smart and green” hotels is rapidly emerging as the new theme in the sustainable tourism industry, previous literature failed to address the issue in relation to a lack of uptake from Irish hoteliers. A post-positivistic paradigm was adopted for this study. Primary data indicates that most hoteliers were positively receptive towards “smart” and “green” despite many challenges. This research will interest policy makers, central government, tourism organisations and hotel practitioners. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tourism Image and Visitor's Behavior)
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