Abstract
The tourism consumer’s purchase decision process is, to a great extent, conditioned by the image the tourist has of the different destinations that make up his or her choice set. In a highly competitive international tourist market, those responsible for destinations’ promotion and development policies seek differentiation strategies so that they may position the destinations in the most suitable market segments for their product in order to improve their attractiveness to visitors and increase or consolidate the economic benefits that tourism activity generates in their territory. To this end, the main objective we set ourselves in this paper is the empirical analysis of the factors that determine the image formation of Tarragona city as a cultural heritage destination. Without a doubt, UNESCO’s declaration of Tarragona’s artistic and monumental legacies as World Heritage site in the year 2000 meant important international recognition of the quality of the cultural and patrimonial elements offered by the city to the visitors who choose it as a tourist destination. It also represents a strategic opportunity to boost the city’s promotion of tourism and its consolidation as a unique destination given its cultural and patrimonial characteristics. Our work is based on the use of structured and unstructured techniques to identify the factors that determine Tarragona’s tourist destination image and that have a decisive influence on visitors’ process of choice of destination. In addition to being able to ascertain Tarragona’s global tourist image, we consider that the heterogeneity of its visitors requires a more detailed study that enables us to segment visitor typology. We consider that the information provided by these results may prove of great interest to those responsible for local tourism policy, both when designing products and when promoting the destination.
Highlights
The image of a tourist destination is an important factor directly influences tourism consumers’ decision-making process
It is highly relevant to analyse the factors that contribute to the image formation of this type of destination based on the specificity of its patrimonial elements
Highlighting the cultural tourism activity that is promoted in the towns and cities that have assets declared World Heritage, we consider it highly relevant to be able to analyse the image that is projected on the basis of these cultural elements, and for our research in particular, to analyse the aspects that define the city of Tarragona’s image as a tourist destination, by means of structured techniques that analyse the components of the tourist destination image
Summary
The image of a tourist destination is an important factor directly influences tourism consumers’ decision-making process. According to the existing literature in this field (Baloglu, 2001; Baloglu and Mangaloglu, 2001; Baloglu and McCleary, 1999 ; Barroso and Florez, 2006 ; Beerli and Martín, 2004; Bigné et al, 2000; Bigné and Sánchez, 2001; Bigné et al, 2001; Castaño et al, 2006; Echtner and Ritchie, 1993; Gartner, 1993; Gursoy and McCleary, 2004; Richarson and Compton, 1988; Font, 2003; San Martín et al, 2006) it is considered that by knowing the attributes that really affect the image formation of a destination, strategies may be generated that improve their competitiveness, and more appropriate management policies for the development of each tourist destination can be implemented In this regard, tourist destinations, in any of their manifestations (rural, cultural, sun, sea and sand, etc.) must project a suitable image that renders its potential visitors’ decision-making process more straightforward leading them to choose said destination. Highlighting the cultural tourism activity that is promoted in the towns and cities that have assets declared World Heritage, we consider it highly relevant to be able to analyse the image that is projected on the basis of these cultural elements, and for our research in particular, to analyse the aspects that define the city of Tarragona’s image as a tourist destination, by means of structured techniques that analyse the components of the tourist destination image
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