PERCEPTIONS OF LOCAL TOURISTS, ATTITUDES AND WILLINGNESS TO VISIT LOCAL DESTINATIONS: A DESTINATION IMAGE CASE

Abstract

The paper made use of predictor variables to highlight relationships in tourism, these are: perceptions’ of local residents towards tourists and destination image; in an effort to identify how these predictors are relative to the mediator variable, attitudes’ of local residents towards tourists; which then lead to the outcome variable, tourists willingness to visit a destination. To enable the researcher to conduct this study, prior literature related to destination image, as well as the attitudes and perceptions of local residents were reviewed. Respondents were selected by means of probability sampling. A conceptualised model was developed to measure the variables adapted to the research study. The researcher conducted field research at The University of Witwatersrand, which included 270 respondents, currently registered at the university. The data set was analysed by employing SPSS and Amos 24 through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). It was confirmed by the results of the research that the attitudes of local residents had a stronger relationship than the perceptions of local residents towards tourists; influencing tourists’ willingness to visit a destination. This implies that tourists will visit a destination based on how they are treated by local residents, instead of how local residents perceive tourists. The study makes contributions to current research on local residents’ attitudes and perceptions towards tourists, and destination image, which influences tourists’ willingness to visit a destination.