There is nothing so practical as good theory for tracking destination image over time

Abstract

Destination image has consistently been a popular theme in the tourism literature. This is due to the important role the construct can play in the intangible nature of consumers’ travel decisions. However, one temporal aspect, of how destination image might change over time, has attracted little academic research attention. This manuscript attempts to make a contribution to this gap in the literature by reporting key findings from an investigation into perceptions held of one of New Zealand’s most popular resort destinations, Rotorua, at three points in time over two decades. The research is narrowly focused on the perceptions of consumers in Rotorua’s largest domestic market, Auckland, and for a specific travel situation, which is short break holidays by car. The research design is based on Fishbein’s multi-attribute theory and Kelly’s personal construct theory. The key finding was minimal changes in Rotorua’s perceived strengths and weaknesses, relative to four competing destinations, in the target market, over the 20 year time period. We propose the theoretical foundations of the research design, and the efficacy of the data analysis, provide DMOs with a valid and reliable means to monitor the strengths and weaknesses of their destination over time.