Tourism Image Research Articles

How destination image and trust mediate e-WOM's impact on halal tourism intentions

Purpose – This study examines the mediating role of destination image and destination trust in the relationship between Electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WOM) and the intention to visit halal tourism destinations, specifically focusing on Bangka Belitung. Methodology – This study employed a quantitative approach, collecting data from 292 respondents via an online survey. SEM was used to test the relationships among e-WOM, destination image, destination trust, and intention to visit. Validity and reliability tests, as well as goodness-of-fit measures, were applied to assess the model's robustness.Findings – The results indicate that e-WOM significantly influences both destination trust and destination image. However, neither destination image nor destination trust directly affect the intention to visit, and e-WOM itself does not have a direct significant impact on the intention. These findings suggest that, while e-WOM fosters positive perceptions and trust, other factors are more critical in driving the halal tourism intention.Implications – This study provides valuable insights for tourism stakeholders, particularly in halal tourism, by highlighting the importance of managing e-WOM to enhance trust and image. However, halal tourism providers must prioritize authenticity, cultural sensitivity, and visitor engagement to attract and retain tourists.Originality – This study contributes to the literature by exploring the mediating effects of destination image and trust in halal tourism, challenging the assumption that positive perceptions are always translated into behavioral intentions. It expands the understanding of how e-WOM impacts tourist decision making within a specific cultural and religious context.

Exploring the Voice of Inbound Tourists: A Study on the Perceived Image of Ethnic-Minority Village Tourism with Impact on Satisfaction

ABSTRACT The opinions and emotions expressed by tourists were the genuine perception of the destination image. To listen to the voice of inbound tourists, this research introduces a new analytical framework through two studies to explore the perceived destination image of ethnic-minority village tourism. Study 1 employed content and sentiment analyses to reveal the cognitive and affective images. Study 2 quantitatively assesses image dimensions’ impact on satisfaction using online reviews through regression analysis. Findings underscore that (1) the perceived destination image includes four dimensions: natural landscape, cultural attraction, tourism environment and touristic service, as well as infrastructure and facility. Eight themes were identified, namely old, local, park, minority, crowd, season, rice, platform. And the affective image tends to be positive; (2) there is a significant positive correlation between the overall perceived destination image and the satisfaction level of inbound tourists visiting ethnic-minority villages, and tourism environment and touristic service exerts the most pronounced impact on satisfaction. This research innovatively transformed textual data into numerical data. It enriches the literature on inbound tourism in China’s ethnic regions, providing practical insights for improving the international competitiveness of ethnic-minority villages in the post-COVID-19 era.

Current Status and Solutions for Developing Tourism in Phu an Bamboo Village in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam

Phu An Bamboo Village in Binh Duong Province is a nature reserve, aiming to preserve and develop bamboo - a typical cultural symbol of Vietnam. With its lush green landscape, rich ecosystem and educational value, Phu An Bamboo Village has great potential for developing ecotourism combining cultural and natural conservation. However, the current status of tourism development here still has many limitations, including incomplete infrastructure, weak promotion capacity, and insufficient participation of the local community. This research paper aims to comprehensively assess the current status of tourism in Phu An Bamboo Village, thereby proposing specific and feasible solutions for sustainable development of this area. The research also focuses on understanding the significance of Phu An Bamboo Village for the development of green tourism in Binh Duong Province, and at the same time recommends effective development strategies, such as improving service quality, enhancing promotion, and building appropriate support policies. The article not only contributes to the local socio-economic development but also raises public awareness about protecting natural resources, preserving culture and building a sustainable tourism image for Vietnam.

The Application Value of Tourism-Related Short Videos in Thailand's Tourism Industry

In the digital era, short videos have emerged as a novel medium that plays a pivotal role in shaping and disseminating the image of tourist destinations. This study focuses on Thailand, investigating how short videos mold and promote its tourism image, and analyzing the strategies employed in their creation and dissemination. Through a comprehensive literature review and empirical research, this study elucidates the diversity of tourism images presented in Thai tourism-related short videos, examines their media expressions, and delves into the discourse strategies used in their creation and dissemination. The findings indicate that short videos significantly influence the capture of Thailand's diverse attractions, enhancing its tourism appeal and fostering cultural exchanges. Nevertheless, this promotional method is not without its limitations and challenges, which this study critically analyzes to provide insights and recommendations for future tourism promotion activities. Research on the dissemination strategies of tourism-related short videos reveals that their spread transcends geographical and temporal boundaries, altering the traditional tourism experience that was once only accessible through physical presence.

Assessing the Impact of Tourism on Country Brand Value

This research explores the connection between tourism statistics and country brand value, as well as the impact tourism has on it, by utilizing public data sources and employing statistical techniques. A country's brand reflects its image as perceived by foreign audiences, representing the nation's reputation and standing internationally. This perception is mirrored in the influx of tourists visiting the country. While brand value is typically not measured by the number of arrivals, but rather by the country's tourism image, prior studies have shown that higher brand value leads to an increase in foreign visitors. However, fewer investigations have focused on whether the volume of tourists directly influences the country's brand value. The findings of this study demonstrate a significant link between the two, revealing a causal relationship. Nevertheless, there is some uncertainty surrounding the causality, which future research aims to clarify. The goal of this preliminary study was to explore whether this question could be effectively addressed.

The analysis of rural tourism image optimization under the internet of things and deep learning

This study aims to utilize deep learning technology to optimize rural tourism image, enhance visitor experience, and promote sustainable development. By deploying sensors for real-time monitoring of the environment and visitor flow in rural scenic areas, combined with a Dense Convolutional Neural Network (DenseNet), automatic identification and analysis of rural landscapes are achieved. Using rural tourism along the Yellow River as a case study, this study constructs a tourism image evaluation and optimization model based on big data. The results indicate that the model performs excellently in terms of accuracy and robustness, significantly improving the presentation of rural tourism images. The study shows that realism and service facilities have the greatest impact on rural tourism image, underscoring the value of technological means in optimizing the rural tourism image.

ECONOMIC AND LEGAL MECHANISMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOURIST POTENTIAL OF THE COUNTRY

The article examines the economic and legal mechanisms for the development of the tourism potential of Ukraine. It has been proven that the only way to solve systemic problems in the development of tourism potential is a strategically oriented tourism policy, the main task of which is to define tourism as one of the main priorities of the country, the introduction of economic and legal mechanisms for the successful conduct of tourism business, investment incentives for the development of tourism infrastructure, information and marketing activities for the formation of the tourist image of Ukraine. This policy should also be socially oriented and safe. It is substantiated that the economic and legal mechanisms for the development of the country's tourism potential are based on the complex value-oriented component of the growth of competitive advantages of tourism, the regulatory legal field of long-term partnership relations to meet the needs (requirements) of consumers, obtain a positive effect in the economic environment and increase the level of tourism infrastructure. The relationship between the elements of the country's tourism potential is determined. On the basis of the country's tourism policy, economic and legal mechanisms for the development of tourism potential should be activated. The directions of tourism policy have been determined in order to activate economic and legal mechanisms for the development of tourism potential. The tools for activating the economic and legal mechanisms for the development of the country's tourism potential have been singled out. Legal instruments determine the criteria for the organization of legal norms of various types of activities, competences, scope of powers and duties of state and commercial organizations, as well as individual citizens. Economic instruments include, in particular, tax levers used to stimulate economic growth, introduce innovations, carry out structural transformations, and increase the export competitiveness of domestic tourism products.

Architectural Design Studio Works Exploring Archetype Based on Ecological Sensibilities from Experiencing Najdi Architecture of At-Turaif Town and Modern Riyadh

The numbness to human loss becomes ordinary. Indifference to human affairs seems normal after experiencing the global lockdown. Bringing up empathy becomes the most challenging task in architectural design studios after the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining otherness solidified after a global pandemic would be a way to revive empathy and to engage more in architectural design studios. The physiological disparity between the modern and the vernacular environments narrows down with the revival of Najdi architecture, the Salmani architecture style, and the Diriyah Gate Project in Riyadh, KSA. The disparity is caused by intangible factors such as speed, density, and tension but the revival focuses heavily on the tangible, formal expression. The architectural elements in the vernacular Najdi architecture have different meanings and roles beyond being a decorative motif. The feeble values of the vernacular undermined by touristic images are challenged by a series of radical design projects not to be generalized again by picturesque replicas of the past. Seeing the lost, the ecological sensibility of a community or collective that embraced the harshest land with full respect, might not be visual but is instead radically experiential, like a serendipitous breeze in Riyadh. This paper introduces a series of studio works that challenge how to bring back the living structure, in the harshest environment, to daily life through experimental and speculative design processes. It proposes how a community is called on to guard the environmental landscape, again defying the visual interpretation of Najdi architecture in a political landscape dominated by high fence walls.

Key Factors Influencing Tourist's Destination Image: A Perspective From International Tourists in Jordan

Objectives: This paper highlights the significant role of key factors in the formation of tourist destination image. From the perspective of international tourists who represent the major target market in Jordan, this study explores the potential influence of destination image on their travel intention and repeat visitation. Understanding factors that motivate tourists to travel to a specific destination can lead to predicting their future decisions. Methods: This study adopts a quantitative approach based on the analysis of selected items of questionnaire responses collected from 180 international tourists who visited Jordan post-COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Findings reveal that the destination image of international tourists is significantly affected by internal and external factors. Perception of tourist attractions, travel experience, interaction with the local community, and feeling of safety and security are crucial in enhancing the image of international tourist destinations. Conclusions: Tourism planners, policymakers, and stakeholders can benefit from the results by using the positive image of Jordan tourism to apply a suitable marketing strategy, investing in security and safety, and preserving the country's tradition of hospitality. That, in return, will allow tourist destinations to provide a unique experience for visitors, contributing to the growth and development of the economy.

When Guests Become Hosts: The Boomerang Effect of Tourists’ Negative Behaviors on Their Country of Origin

Tourists are commonly regarded as ambassadors shaping their country’s image in international tourism. However, the role of the boomerang effect for outbound tourists on their country of origin is often overlooked in theory and practice. Through four studies, this groundbreaking research explores the boomerang effect of tourists’ negative behaviors on their home countries, encompassing the impact on tourism imports and subsequent spillover effects on manufacturing product exports. The findings reveal that tourists’ negative behaviors not only diminish the willingness of destination residents to visit the tourist-originating country by influencing perceived warmth and psychological distance but also decrease their intention to purchase manufactured products from the country of origin by amplifying psychological distance. Importantly, the moderating effect of product added value in spillover effects is highlighted. These conclusions expand the influence of tourists’ negative behaviors and innovatively bridge theoretical perspectives between the tourism and manufacturing industries on the reverse country-of-origin effects.

Harmony of Nature: Building a Healthy Tourism Image Through Green Product Development

Harmony of Nature: Building a Healthy Tourism Image Through Green Product Development

EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FIGURES ON DESTINATION IMAGE AND PURCHASE INTENTIONS IN THE TOURISM SECTOR

The rise of social media has revolutionized tourism marketing, making influencers and social media figures key players in shaping travelers' perceptions of destinations. Platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok have enabled influencers to act as digital ambassadors, promoting travel locations through curated, visually appealing content. This paper explores the influence of social media figures on shaping destination image and purchase intentions in the tourism sector, drawing on case studies from Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, and Qatar. It also examines the potential for Uzbekistan to enhance its tourism image through influencer marketing, offering insights from successful international strategies.

The contribution of environmental interpretation in nature protection

The interpretation of natural values and the management of visitors in protected areas are related in multiple ways and are an important link in nature protection activities. This paper examines the basic elements of the interpretation and management of visitors in the selected protected areas of the Republic of Croatia. Protected areas are one of the main attributes of the tourist image of Croatia, with significant economic effects in the generated traffic of visitors. However, this can also contribute to the degradation of natural values or, on the other hand, can help protect nature. Due to such challenges, it is necessary to better understand the importance of visitor centres, tourist tours and the way in which codes of ethics are applied in protected areas. In this paper the representation of environmental interpretation techniques and tools in seven protected areas in Croatia were investigated, using information that was obtained mainly through survey research. The basic results indicate that Croatia has made progress in the previous period in the field of interpretation of natural and cultural values in its protected areas. Such progress is not only related to regions where tourism has a mass character and where visits are significant, but has also been made in remote continental parts of the country. Such an approach in the development of protected areas also indicates that these areas are not only massive tourist destinations, but also places for a more complex understanding of the concept of nature protection and sustainable development associated with the use of its potentials.

Research on the tourist destination image of the Huaiyang Canal based on network data

The Huaiyang Canal, a significant section of the Grand Canal, boasts representative tourist attractions. This study analysis of online reviews from Ctrip and Mahive using R language, Gephi, ROST CM, and SPSS has provided insights into tourists’ perceptions of the Huaiyang Canal’s image. Key findings include: (1) Dominant landscape images encompass gardens, canals, and buildings, emphasizing the historical and cultural assets. Both cultural and natural landscapes equally captivate tourists. (2) The canal’s tourism image perception follows a “garden-history-canal” hierarchy with the canal as the central space and history expanding its tourism features. (3) The perceptions can be categorized into historical and cultural landscapes, man-made projects, and attraction perception. Despite varying tourist numbers in Huaian and Yangzhou, scenic spot experiences are similar. The overall perception of tourists is largely positive, but some express concerns about service attitudes and travel time planning.

Strategizing Public Diplomacy For Magnetizing Indonesia Tourism

Background: Indonesia has an executive section implementing public diplomacy, but does not yet have the characteristics of public diplomacy to be carried out, does not yet have a priority goal on the image that will be achieved by public diplomacy. Tourism is one of Indonesia's strong identities, but a strong image of Indonesian tourism has not yet emerged, which should be a priority, Indonesian tourism is not only limited to many tourist attractions, of course. Public diplomacy can be utilized to support the image of tourism, but it will not reach the optimal target, if the country does not know the instruments and characteristics of its public diplomacy. If Indonesia's public diplomacy is not optimized through a grand strategy, there is no certain modeling, then the great potential in Indonesia's public diplomacy instruments, for example diaspora, culture, and tourism itself, will not be optimally utilized Purpose: This research aims to map the characteristics of Indonesian public diplomacy so as to produce public diplomacy modeling that can be applied with potential instruments to be used, especially in supporting Indonesia's tourism image Methods: The method in this research is based on qualitative data. Results: With the conceptual framework of public diplomacy, interview methods and literature studies, this research found that the characteristics of tourism to be developed in Indonesia are quality and sustainable tourism, with supporting instruments of digital components and Indonesian cultural characteristics. Conclusion: A clear and strategic approach to public diplomacy is essential to improving Indonesia's tourism image. By incorporating digital strategies and engaging both the diaspora and international influencers, Indonesia can better showcase its tourism potential on the global stage.

Tourists’ Perceptual Positioning of Brand Equity and Competitive Relationships in Organic Agricultural Tourism

In the face of a highly competitive tourism market, when tourists hold positive brand equity towards a destination, it enhances the destination’s ability to differentiate itself from competitors. This study focuses on the brand equity of organic agricultural tourism, using multidimensional scaling (MDS) to explore the factor structure of brand equity and the perceptual positioning of various tourism destination brands. The research targets tourists engaging in organic agricultural tourism in the Hualien and Taitung regions, with 220 valid questionnaires collected. The research findings indicate the following: 1. Among the 22 brand equity items, “loyalty to organic agricultural tourism”, “awareness of organic agricultural products”, “quality of organic agricultural products”, “environmental sustainability”, “image of healthy tourism”, and “recognition of organic agricultural development” scored the highest. 2. The analysis revealed that the brand equity factors are ranked in the following order: BIHS, BACI, BPQ, BLO, and BAW. 3. Through MDS analysis, the five organic agricultural tourism destinations were categorized into high, medium, and low brand equity groups, illustrating the differentiated competitive relationships among these destinations. The top three factors influencing the brand perceptual maps were BAW, BIHS, and BPQ. The results of this study can serve as a reference for future research on brand equity in organic agricultural tourism and provide a scientific basis for the practical application of shaping brand equity and formulating competitive strategies.

Oferta turystyki kajakowej w województwie podkarpackim. Stan rozwoju oraz ocena odwiedzających

The aim of the article is to identify and assess the possibilities of the Podkarpackie Province in building a product offer for kayak tourism. The analyses presented in the article are based on data from several sources. Among others, the results of the Study on the Tourist Image of the Podkarpackie Province and the Study on Tourist Traffic in the Podkarpackie Province, which were conducted in 2021, were used. In addition, data from the Podkarpackie Regional Tourism Board was obtained. They concerned kayak events organized by this institution in 2021–2022. The estimation of potential relationships between the analyzed variables was carried out using the nonparametric chi-square test of independence (due to the size and distribution of results in the research sample). The analyses and interpretations carried out in the article allow us to state that in the scope of active tourism, water tourism, right after hiking and cycling, is the reason for coming to the Podkarpackie Province. Within the scope of water tourism, kayaking is an important position, especially for one-day visitors and above all in counties with lower tourist traffic intensity. It is a much more accessible form of water tourism than sailing or motorboat sports, both in terms of time, required permissions and qualifications, equipment, and finances. Water tourism, including kayaking, is in some places (e.g. Lake Solina) a significant source (direct and indirect) of income generated, among others, from tourists and organizers. It has a positive impact on socio-economic development and creates a positive image of the region “open to water” on the national and international arena.

Destination image and personality in workation tourism

ABSTRACT Workation represents an emerging and intriguing alternative type of tourism that integrates work and leisure. While it has gained substantial popularity, scholarly research in this field has been relatively constrained, particularly regarding the role of destinations. This study addresses this research gap by investigating the most salient attributes characterising an ‘ideal workation destination’. We present a theoretical model integrating components from the destination image and personality frameworks and employ fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis on a sample of 213 individuals. Compared to past work exploring the workation concept, experiences, and workationer characteristics, our research focuses on the attributes of destinations that make them attractive for this emerging tourism trend. The findings categorise workationers based on the destination attributes they prioritise, identifying three main groups: outdoor enthusiasts, extroverts, and hipsters. Understanding workationers’ diverse preferences regarding destination attributes enables tourism providers and destination management organisations in remote and undiscovered destinations to tailor their offerings and attract tourism flows seeking unique work-leisure experiences. This approach can support the revitalisation of these areas, enhancing their appeal and sustainability.

The Participants

While universities increasingly offer institutional support for academic filmmaking, in the specific case of ethics this support can sometimes become an impediment to creativity. The requirement to follow comprehensive university ethical procedures - which are usually developed with great care and attention to the needs of researchers but with little or no focus on creative practice research - might stymie the artistic practice of filmmakers. My video The Participants: a reflection on the ethics of smartphone filmmaking as research aims to offer a provocation intended to challenge university practitioner-researchers to consider the ethics of their practice, but also, at the same time, a provocation to university ethics protocols and procedures. Specifically, the films seeks to encourage the viewer to reflect on the ways in which filmmaker researchers working in in public places might better consider the ethical issues raised by their practice, especially when subsequently employing (and manipulating) footage of individuals who have not given their consent to be filmed. For The Participants I used an iPhone 11 to capture video images of tourists videoing with their smartphones at Grand Central Station, New York.

A Multimodal Analysis of the Linguistic Landscape of Guilin: City as a World-Class Tourism

The study of language landscape has always been the focus of linguistic research, but there are few studies on the world-class tourism language landscape in minority areas. Guilin has always been one of the hottest world-class tourism destinations, with its unique minority character. From the perspectives of multimodal analysis and tourism language landscape construction, this paper discussed the language landscape characteristics of Longyin Road and East-West Lane scenic spots with different orientations and investigated the local people's attitudes towards multilingual signs. The study found that the majority of signs are monolingual and bilingual, predominantly in Chinese and English. Non-textual elements significantly complemented the linguistic landscape, highlighting the need for accurate and diverse multilingual signage to enhance Guilin's world-class tourism image.