Abstract
The present study explores the imagery of mountain tourism destinations. The research is based on customer-based brand equity and destination choice models, and addresses destination imagery through the concepts favourite destination (FD) and autobiographical memory. Through an online, multilingual survey, 711 responses, consisting of words, associated by a self-selected sample of European mountain tourists to their favourite mountain destinations, were collected. Such data was subjected to a deductive content analysis, and the results suggest that the imagery of favourite mountain destinations consists mostly of functional elements. Findings reinforce previous theories regarding the concept of favourite destinations, destination imagery (DY) processing, and destination choice. Future studies should apply such analysis to other tourism products, as well as to different or more representative samples, to verify whether imagery structures differ.
Highlights
There has been a slow but steady effort towards increasing global awareness concerning mountain issues (Nepal & Chipeniuk, 2005)
The present study aimed at exploring the imagery of favourite mountain tourism destinations, which has been addressed through theories of destination imagery and autobiographical memory
Customerbased brand equity and destination choice models were of key relevance for the research
Summary
There has been a slow but steady effort towards increasing global awareness concerning mountain issues (Nepal & Chipeniuk, 2005). An increasing number of researchers is interested in mountain tourism destinations (Beedie & Hudson 2003; Dornier & Mauri, 2018; Godde, Price, & Zimmermann, 2000; Mateiro, Kastenholz, & Breda, 2018; Nepal, 2002; Nepal & Chipeniuk, 2005; Ponjiger, 2018; Price, Moss, & Williams, 1997). Mountains cover 24% of the Earth's surface. They are present in a total of 139 countries throughout all continents. Mountain tourism currently represents up to 20% of trips globally (Buckley, 2007; Silva, Kastenholz, & Abrantes, 2015).
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