Projected Images of Major Chinese Outbound Destinations

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the projected images of major outbound destinations based on popular travel magazines in China. Travel articles on Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan from 2006 to 2008 were content analyzed. Japan was reported on most, and the projected images of the six destinations are dominated by leisure and recreation, and culture, history and art. Correspondence analysis was used to examine relationships between destinations and popular image attributes. The results showed that South Korea and Macau had distinct projected images, whereas Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam shared many similar image attributes. Practical implications for destination marketing organizations are provided.

Keywords:

• projected image
• outbound destinations
• China
• travel magazines
• correspondence analysis

Acknowledgment

The work described in this article was supported by a grant from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Project No. G-YG47).