“To feel a place of heaven”: examining the role of sensory reference cues and capacity for imagination in destination marketing

ABSTRACT

Emerging research in travel and tourism states that individuals can feel emotional connection towards a place or destination. This destination emotion is influenced by sensory reference cues appearing in destination advertisements. This research has empirically tested the influence of sensory reference cues on destination emotion and the extent to which that influence is moderated by an individual’s capacity for imagination. The desirable marketing outcomes of destination emotion, namely spreading positive word-of-mouth and destination emotion have also been investigated. The study findings show that visual, haptic, and olfactory reference cues significantly influence destination emotion, and an individual’s capacity for imagination moderates the influence. Destination emotion leads to repeat visit intention and word-of-mouth recommendation. The study results form the basis for a discussion of theoretical and managerial implications of the empirical model.

KEYWORDS:

• Sensory reference cues
• destination emotion
• individual capacity for imagination
• word-of-mouth recommendation
• visit intention

Notes

1. The words in parentheses, for example “rainforests” and “underwater corals”, are also included in the first version of the destination advertisement.

2. Indian currency: Indian National Rupee.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tathagata Ghosh

Tathagata Ghosh, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Marketing Department, ICFAI Business School (IBS) Hyderabad (Deemed University), Donthanapalli, Shankarapalli Road, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad 501203, Telangana, India (E-mail: [email protected]).

Abhigyan Sarkar

Abhigyan Sarkar, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Marketing Department, ICFAI Business School (IBS) Hyderabad (Deemed University), Donthanapalli, Shankarapalli Road, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad 501203, Telangana, India (E-mail: [email protected]).