Destination Marketing Organizations Research Articles

Does the cinematic depiction of a place deceive viewers’ perception of its reality? Exploring movie-induced destination stereotypes

ABSTRACT Globalization of media is leading to tourists constructing imagery of unfamiliar destinations. Drawing on the associative memory theory and stereotype content model, this research proposes that cinematic portrayal of a destination would induce stereotypes in the minds of tourists that align with the movie theme. Using Between-subject experiments, the stereotyped perceptions of potential tourists regarding the destination were captured in the form of destination image and personality. The valence of stereotypes is also observed using the various dimensions of the constructs: destination image and personality. Further, based on social cognitive theory, this research explores how individuals’ sensation-seeking trait influences their response to a movie theme and, thus, shapes their travel intentions for the depicted destination. The results of this research may assist destination marketing organisations in devising their positioning and communication strategy regarding a destination such that the elements of story-telling in popular media may not adversely impact the perceptions of potential tourists.

“How Brands Can Influence Consumers’ Attitudes Towards Visiting Brand-related destinations”

Abstract The image of a tourist destination is a fundamental element in understanding the process of analysis and choice by tourists. Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) work in a coordinated way to promote the qualities of a destination. However, other stimuli may escape the direct control of these organizations. Among these stimuli, there is a gap in the literature that has not been studied so far: the possible effect of brands linked to a destination on consumers’ attitudes toward visiting that destination. This article analyzes this effect through the consumer satisfaction effect on customer-based destination brand equity (CBDBE). The results confirm this chain of effects. From a theoretical perspective, we contribute to reinforcing studies that analyze the effect of CBDBE on destination choice. From a mangerial point of view, we highlight the need to expand the reference of stimuli that can affect CBDBE for a greater impact and efficiency of the actions developed by DMOs.

Social media content strategy for DMOs: examining linguistic style in times of crisis

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 outbreak has drastically impacted destination marketing organisations’ (DMOs) communication and consumer engagement on social media. The study examines consumer engagement during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (pre-COVID, lockdown, post-lockdown) based on the language used by DMOs in their social media communications. An analysis of 21,677 tweets recording 3.63 million impressions on 23 official Indian DMOs’ Twitter handles was undertaken. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count dictionary examined the tweets’ linguistic characteristics. Negative binomial regression was employed to test the hypotheses. Results show that 1) consumer engagement on Twitter, measured as likes and retweets, increased during lockdown; 2) the use of linguistic text features by DMOs has changed with the pandemic stages; and 3) while cognition significantly explained the changes in consumer engagement, positive emotion partially explained, and confidence failed to account for the changes. The findings provide operational guidance for DMOs on how to design social media content.

Envisioning the Future

The highly contagious nature of the novel Coronavirus locks-unlocks and economic uncertainty around the world have changed the complete landscape of the tourism sector. To attract tourists, it is necessary to revise the content strategy of Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) in the post-Covid economy. This study explores how different characteristics of DMO’s social media posts influence tourists’ online engagement. We used 876 posts from July 2021 to June 2022 on the official Facebook handle of Incredible India, through which we assessed the tourists’ ‘engagement’, using the number of likes, comments, and shares. Additionally, linguistic features-based categorization of posts was done using LIWC. The results demonstrate that message format, message appeal, motives, and time orientation of posts significantly influence the tourists’ online engagement. These findings are relevant to information dissemination and provide valuable insights for DMOs. DMOs could use this study to design their future messages to gather maximum engagement through social media posts.

Exploring cross-cultural disparities in tourists' perceived images: a text mining and sentiment analysis study using LDA and BERT-BILSTM models

PurposeTourists with different cultural backgrounds think and behave differently. Accurately capturing and correctly understanding cultural differences will help tourist destinations in product/service planning, marketing communication and attracting and retaining tourists. This research employs Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory to analyse the variations in destination image perceptions of Chinese-speaking and English-speaking tourists to Xiamen, a prominent tourist attraction in China.Design/methodology/approachThe evaluation utilizes a two-stage approach, incorporating LDA and BERT-BILSTM models. By leveraging text mining, sentiment analysis and t-tests, this research investigates the variations in tourists' perceptions of Xiamen across different cultures.FindingsThe results reveal that cultural disparities significantly impact tourists' perceived image of Xiamen, particularly regarding their preferences for renowned tourist destinations and the factors influencing their travel experience.Originality/valueThis research pioneers applying natural language processing methods and machine learning techniques to affirm the substantial differences in the perceptions of tourist destinations among Chinese-speaking and English-speaking tourists based on Hofstede's cultural theory. The findings furnish theoretical insights for destination marketing organizations to target diverse cultural tourists through precise marketing strategies and illuminate the practical application of Hofstede's cultural theory in tourism and hospitality.

Country branding in post-truth Era: A configural narrative

This study investigates the impact of online disinformation and hate speech on a country's image, considering its implications for the destination's image and tourism prospects. Utilizing the theoretical lens of soft power, the study performs a macro-level empirical analysis across 56 countries on the influence of a diverse array of online disinformation variants and hate speech on the nation's brand image. The results from the configurational analysis demonstrate the increasing dominance of state and partisan factions-led disinformation, which collectively impact the nation's image. The findings also shed light on the diminishing role of foreign disinformation, while the ancillary function of online hate emphasizes the significance of disinformation amplified hate speech, which has become increasingly commonplace in global political discourse, with such disinformation campaigns using hate speech as an amplification strategy. The study contributes to contemporary tourism research, which underscores the vitality of the country's image to tourism and offers recommendations to destination marketing organizations towards intensifying efforts to preserve the country's image.

Impact of internet celebrities’ short videos on audiences’ visit intentions: Is beauty power?

Although celebrity endorsements and promotional videos dominated by destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are critical in travel decision-making and destination marketing, as a new type of endorsement, the impact of internet celebrities’ short travel videos on social platforms remains not well understood. To bridge this gap, the current study applied source credibility theory and the match-up hypothesis to construct a conceptual model for examining the impact of internet celebrity endorsements on audiences’ visit intentions. FangQi Kiki, a typical producer of short travel videos on TikTok, was used as a case study. 649 valid samples were taken from respondents who were asked to complete a questionnaire after watching a short video. The results showed that internet celebrities’ trustworthiness and expertise significantly affect audiences’ visit intentions. However, attractiveness in terms of the physical characteristics of internet celebrities and internet celebrity–destination congruence had no significant effect on audiences’ visit intentions. The implications show that “Appearance Fallacy” exists in online influencers’ marketing, and physical appearance may affect the popularity of short travel videos online, but it has no significant effect on promoting destination marketing. Unlike the celebrity effect in conventional endorsements, internet celebrities’ short videos belong to content marketing, where popular content is more important than an internet celebrity’s personality. This research adds to the body of knowledge concerned with internet celebrity endorsements in tourism, providing valuable insights for DMOs to project short video marketing.

Toronto’s Respite Program for Families of Children with Complex Needs

Summary Destination Toronto (DT), Toronto’s Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), aims to bring visitors and conference attendees to Toronto. DMOs have an extensive network in the visitor economy that they can activate to address social issues in their communities. The well-being of caregivers to children with complex special needs is often overlooked despite the important role they play. The visitor economy can contribute some relief to this group by providing a pleasant break from day-to-day responsibilities of care. DT uses its network of tourism-related businesses to give back to the community through the Relax, Recharge, Renew (RRR) Program, offering a weekend trip to parents and caregivers of children with special needs. This case study displays the importance of having social intrapreneurs who drive change to provide resident-tailored tourism experiences and underscores the significance of local partnerships. Additionally, realistic considerations for replicability at other destinations are discussed. The case study highlights the potential to expand collaboration in the hospitality and tourism sector, providing enriching experiences to underserved residents. Information © The Authors 2024

Exploring the role of ethical experiences and psychological well-being in travel satisfaction: An animal welfare perspective in elephant-based tourism

Given growing concerns about animal welfare in tourism, this study examined the crucial role of tourists' ethical experiences and psychological well-being in travel satisfaction by comparing online reviews from two elephant-based tourism settings: a rescue center and general tour sites. Topic modeling and sentence sentiment analysis revealed more prevalent themes of ethical experiences and psychological well-being at the rescue center than at other sites. Path analysis confirmed a significant transition from ethical experiences to psychological well-being and satisfaction only at the rescue center, highlighting the significant mediator of psychological well-being in ethical tourism. This study offers an enhanced understanding of ethical tourism experiences from the animal welfare perspective, thereby expanding the literature on animal-based tourism. This study suggests an integrative text analysis to enhance research integrity. The findings can assist destination marketing organizations in developing policies and guidelines that promote ethical practices among tour operators, leading to a competitive advantage.

The curatorial turn in tourism and hospitality

PurposeThis study, a conceptual paper, analyses the growth of curation in tourism and hospitality and the curator role in selecting and framing products and experiences. It considers the growth of expert, algorithmic, social and co-creative curation modes and their effects.Design/methodology/approachNarrative and integrative reviews of literature on curation and tourism and hospitality are used to develop a typology of curation and identify different curation modes.FindingsCurational techniques are increasingly used to organise experience supply and distribution in mainstream fields, including media, retailing and fashion. In tourism and hospitality, curated tourism, curated hospitality brands and food offerings and place curation by destination marketing organisations are growing. Curation is undertaken by experts, algorithms and social groups and involves many of destination-related actors, producing a trend towards “hybrid curation” of places.Research limitations/implicationsResearch is needed on different forms of curation, their differential effects and the power roles of different curational modes.Practical implicationsCuration is a widespread intermediary function in tourism and hospitality, supporting better consumer choice. New curators influence experience supply and the distribution of consumer attention, shaping markets and co-creative activities. Increased curatorial activity should stimulate aesthetic and stylistic innovation and provide the basis for storytelling and narrative in tourism and hospitality.Originality/valueThis is the first study of curational strategies in tourism and hospitality, providing a definition and typology of curation, and linking micro and macro levels of analysis. It suggests the growth of choice-based logic alongside service-dominant logic in tourism and hospitality.

Collaborative Performances of Wine Tourism Destinations in the Northern Rhone Valley

Purpose: The main aim of this article was to identify the wine tourism destination models set up on collaborative performances driven by Tourism Offices (Destination Marketing Organization, DMO) and wineries (private enterprises) from the appellate areas in the Northen Rhone Valley. Design/methodology/approach: The ethnographical methodology was used, including methods of participating observation (applied by a mysterious tourist method), study tours (to explore the study field), expert analysis (based on knowledge exchange with Tourism Office Managers) and official interviews (with Mangers of small and large wine producers from the areas). Findings: Two of the three surveyed wine tourism destinations from the Northern Rhône Valley (Vienne Condrieu and Rhône Crussol) are distinguished by the very active role of tourism organizations in building collaborative wine tourism offerings, in particular with small wineries. The third destination surveyed (Ardèche Hermitage) is more oriented toward collaborations with large wine producers and their independent role in leading wine tourism marketing. Research limitations/implications: Managers of tourism organizations should be oriented toward collaboration with both: large and small wine producers. Large wineries are helpful in raising the visibility and image of a wine destination. Small producers, on the other hand, offer a distinctive and individual wine tourism experience. Originality/value: The key aspect of wine tourism marketing is the building of collaborative wine tourism offerings led by DMO’s collaboration with both large and small wineries from the destination.

Post-pandemic collaborative destination marketing: Effectiveness and impact on different generational audiences

In a break from the traditional focus on destination image recovery in post-crisis scenarios, the COVID-19 pandemic required a different approach to collaborative destination marketing. This research aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the factors that drive post-pandemic collaborative destination marketing strategies, the objectives that are set, their effectiveness, and the different impacts on diverse age groups. Grounded in stakeholder and generational theories, this study examines an innovative collaborative marketing campaign for Spain in 2022. Spain's tourism rebounded swiftly that year, almost reaching pre-pandemic international visitor numbers. The campaign was collaboratively developed by TourSpain, the Spanish National Tourism Organisation (NTO), along with six regional and local Spanish Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs), Expedia, and TripAdvisor. In-depth interviews were conducted with all stakeholder groups involved in the campaign, and this was complemented by focus groups with U.K. residents, grouped by generation. The findings revealed how the stakeholders reoriented their post-pandemic collaborative strategies to considering variables, such as customer journey stages and sociodemographic factors, to achieve branding and conversion objectives. The study also discovered that the campaign's effectiveness varied across different generational audiences. This research provides valuable insights for NTOs and DMOs in designing future post-crisis collaborative marketing initiatives.

Surviving from the craze: Short video marketing on digital footprint in Yongxing Square in Xi’an

The popularity of short videos in recent years has provided a new path for destination image construction and marketing, which is highly sought after by local governments and destination marketing organizations. However, as a relatively novel product, the effectiveness of short video marketing for destinations is under-researched. This article aims to study the changes in the tourism spatial structure of destinations promoted by visitor-initiated TikTok videos in the case of Yongxing Square in Xi’an, China. The tourist flow indicated the life cycle of short videos and the visitor psychology behind this phenomenon. Social network analysis and text analysis were used to investigate a series of travelogues containing online short video content from 2017 to 2019, following the trend of TikTok heat at the site. The results show that the status of Yongxing Square went through a life cycle of “initial, development, cooling-off, and consolidation.” During this period, the video-induced trend appeared to transform the site between a “video-gimmick” and its basic function as a food court for visitors. The analytical findings bridge the knowledge gap about the actual practice and effect of short videos in a tourist attraction.

Between a rock and a hard place: how does the tourist crowding perception affect the decision of absolute displacement?

ABSTRACT This study investigates the mechanism of tourist crowding perception on their decisions of absolute displacement based on the conservation of resource theory and social influence theory. We collected 455 valid questionnaires from a tourism destination (West Street in Quanzhou city) in China. Results show that both physical crowding and human crowding motivate tourists to select absolute displacement. Perceived wait time partly mediates the effect of physical crowding on absolute displacement, while it fully mediates the effect of human crowding on absolute displacement. Travel group size negatively moderates the effect of tourist crowding perception on absolute displacement. Theoretically, this paper enriches the literature and theories on understanding the mechanism of crowding perception on tourist behavior and expands insights into how tourists respond to crowded situations. Practically, this paper provides implications for destination marketing organizations to use various tourism services to solve over-tourism issues and achieve sustainable tourism development.

Exploring the contribution of neuroscientific approach to sustainable smart tourism

A recent development in the tourism industry is integrating smart technology into prominent destinations to provide personalized experiences for visitors and improve their satisfaction. As a result of smart destinations, knowledge and expertise are available to all parties involved, allowing for the constant transformation of activities by engaging tourists in actively co-creating their experiences. Significant beneficiaries, such as visitors, service providers, and destination marketing organizations, participate in the smart tourism ecosystem’s combination of systems, structures, and technology to co-create value and experience its advantages. The application of neuroscience in smart tourism ecosystem can help to better understand the needs and expectations of tourists, to design more efficient and sustainable services, and to measure the impact of tourism on society and the environment. Sustainable value co-creation based on neuroscientific approach are the new building blocks of smart tourist ecosystems to attain visitor satisfaction and loyalty by establishing positive associations with the co-creation of tourist experiences. Considering neuroscience as a valuable tool for understanding how tourists interact with their environments and how ICTs can be used to enhance their experiences, this paper analyzed literature on smart tourism ecosystem and sustainable value co-creation to provide insights into how sustainable smart tourism can be improved through the use of the neuroscientific approach.

Assessing 360-Degree Guided Virtual Tour Video as a Viable Tourism Destination Marketing Tool: An Affective Appraisal Theory Approach

Due to the intense competition, tourism destinations confront greater challenges with marketing, branding, and positioning. Although virtual tours are increasingly viewed as a potential innovative marketing tool to attract tourists worldwide, empirical research in this area is rather limited. The study examines consumers’ affective appraisals of 360-degree video virtual tours of tourism destinations. A qualitative content analysis was employed in which YouTube’s 360-degree guided virtual tour video with 90 comments of 1,087 total words was analyzed. Using the Voyant Tool software, the study found that viewers generally have a positive sentiment toward the 360-degree guided virtual video tourism destination. This positive sentiment indicates the potential success of 360-degree video-guided virtual tourism destinations in providing a satisfying and immersive experience for the audience. Practically, the study offers valuable insights for destination marketing organizations to leverage on a 360-degree guided virtual tour video. Theoretically, the study contributes to the virtual tourism literature by extending the application of affective appraisal theory to the destination marketing domain. Further empirical work is suggested to validate and support the current study’s findings.

The measurement of crisis management strategies in tourism. Development and validation of a scale

Crises and disasters pose significant obstacles to the socio-economic progress of any destination, especially in the tourism sector. Although travel and tourism are among the world’s most prominent economic sectors, they are susceptible to various hindrances, such as natural disasters, political instability and unpredictable terrorist attacks, which can harm the destination’s reputation and decrease tourist arrivals. While humans cannot control these incidents, they can implement measures, strategies and activities to mitigate their impact. This research aims to create and validate a scale for crisis management strategies in tourism using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A 58-item questionnaire was developed based on literature reviews and interviews with destination marketing organizations (DMO’s), which was then reduced to 47 items after content validation by experts and the target population. EFA was conducted on data from 346 tourism stakeholders, resulting in six discrete factors: media, promotional measures, partnering, security and awareness, innovative marketing, and finance. Finally, AMOS 21 was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis, and the crisis management strategies scale developed retained 38 items.

Representation Matters: Measuring Black Travelers’ Legitimacy Judgments of DMOs

Legitimacy is a critical piece of the social contract organizations have with consumers; enabling them to operate within a given environment. Legitimacy is granted from a wide range of evaluators, but only a small number of studies explore factors that influence the judgments of consumers. This study recognizes the importance of individual judgments by developing a valid and reliable scale which measures how Black travelers evaluate the legitimacy of destination marketing organizations (DMOs). A three-factor solution including relational, cognitive, and pragmatic dimensions of legitimacy was established. The findings extend legitimacy theory by measuring relational legitimacy which considers how organizations affirm one’s identity. Results demonstrate the value of representation in marketing, employees, and tourism products/services. Recommendations from the Black Traveler DMO Legitimacy Scale suggests tourism offices can increase legitimacy by building partnerships with Black owned businesses, ensuring authenticity in marketing, and revisiting strategic plans related to employee recruitment and retention.

Exploring the influence of short video platforms on tourist attitudes and travel intention: A social–technical perspective

Despite the increasing popularity of short video platforms (SVPs) in tourism, there has been a lack of integrated theoretical understanding regarding the mechanism of how SVP users’ perceptions of social media influencers (SMIs) and quality of SVPs influence their intention to visit the destination. By combining social learning theory and the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study investigated the effectiveness of SVPs in terms of source credibility of SMIs and the quality of SVPs in inducing travel intention via attitude. Analyses with a sample of 454 respondents revealed that perceived expertise of SMIs in SVPs positively influenced attitude toward the destination. Additionally, perceived usefulness and enjoyment of short travel videos positively influenced attitude toward SVPs. Attitude toward SVPs was positively linked to attitude toward destination. Both attitudes, in turn, led to travel intention. The study also revealed that parasocial interaction moderated the relationships between perceived attractiveness and expertise and attitude toward the destination. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and tourism marketers are advised to focus on utilizing SMIs who show expertise and featuring informative and enjoyable videos on SVPs for their destination promotion.

The object of my desire! Exploring the antecedents of long-haul travel intentions in an era of uncertainty

ABSTRACT In an increasingly uncertain global tourism environment characterised by health, safety and security, energy, economic and climate change-related pressures, there is an impetus for research into and analyses of adjustments in future travel behaviour. Taking South Africa as a long-haul destination, the study explores the conditional mediation of the relationship between country image (CI) and the long-haul travel intentions of international tourists by the interaction of intrinsic travel motives and distance desire. Data were generated from a deductive study from an online panel sample of 2021 German citizens. Two models based on country image dimensions emerged from the first data analysis stage. Both models were subjected to conditional mediation testing using PROCESS Macro's Model 58. The conditional mediation results confirmed the catalytic effect of distance desire, as it positively moderated the effect of aesthetic country image and travel motives in the mediated relationship between aesthetic CI and travel intention. The results also confirm partial conditional effects of distance desire in the normative-functional CI–travel intention nexus. The study offers tourism practitioners and destination marketing organisations novel insights into the emerging role of destination desire as an underlying mechanism in evaluative and interpretative frameworks for long-haul tourist behaviour during crisis-induced uncertainty.