The role of destination image in tourist satisfaction: the case of a heritage site

Figures & data

Table 1. Different approaches in the analysis of destination image.

Focus of study	Authors
Dimension and conceptualisation	Hunt (1971, 1975), Gunn (1972), Crompton (1979), Gartner (1989), Echtner and Ritchie (1991), Baloglu and McCleary (1999), Cai (2002), Tasci, Gartner, and Cavusgil (2007), Tasci and Gartner (2007), Stepchenkova and Morrison (2008), Lai and Li (2016), Martín-Santana, Beerli-Palacio, and Nazzareno (2017)
Assessment and measurement	Gartner (1989), Echtner and Ritchie (1991, 1993, 2003), Fakeye and Crompton (1991), Baloglu and McCleary (1999), Beerli and Martín (2004), Chen and Tsai (2007), Stepchenkova and Morrison (2008), Yang, He, and Gu (2012)
Changes over time	Ahmed (1991), Fakeye and Crompton (1991), Gartner and Hunt (1987), Kim and Morrison (2005)
Image and destination management	Goodrich (1978), Gartner (1989), Royo-Vela (2009)
Destination image and tourist behaviour	Bigné et al. (2001), Sirakaya and Woodside (2005), Tasci and Gartner (2007), Prayag et al. (2017)
Image formation	Gartner (1989), Chon (1990), Echtner and Ritchie (1991), Beerli and Martín (2004), Royo-Vela (2009), Qu et al. (2011), Llodrá (2013)

Table 2. Attributes of the cognitive image.

Baloglu and McCleary (1999)	Beerli and Martín (2004)
Factor I. Quality of experience: Hygiene and level of cleanliness; infrastructure quality; personal safety; good nightlife and entertainment; adequate accommodations; local food (cuisine); good beaches/water sports; friendly people. Factor II. Places of interest: Cultural; historical; natural landscapes. Factor III. Value/environment: Good value for money; unpolluted; good climate.	Wide variety of fauna and flora; places of historical or cultural interest; richness and beauty of the landscape; unusual ways of life and customs; interesting cultural activities; ease of making purchases; good nightlife; varied cuisine; opportunities for sports activities; good general infrastructures and accesses; luxury; fashion; exotic; a good name and reputation; good quality of life; personal safety; cleanliness; friendly, hospitable people; good beaches; good weather; good infrastructure of hotels and apartments.
Stylos et al. (2016)	Stylidis et al. (2017)
Natural environment: good climate, beautiful landscape. Attractive conditions: good quality infrastructure, hygiene and cleanliness, political stability, good destination reputation, unpolluted natural environment, implementation of policies aimed at sustainable development and environmental protection. Essential conditions: availability of hotel accommodation and camping, relaxing, escape from the daily routine; safe place to travel, easily accessible from permanent residence; family-oriented destination, good value for money and satisfactory customer care on behalf of various professionals. Attractive activities: range of shops and businesses; places of cultural interest; interesting historical monuments and relevant events; good opportunities for sports activities; and good opportunities for tourism.	Natural environment: beautiful scenery, pleasant climate. Amenities: quality hotels, attractive restaurants, variety of shops and excellent service quality. Attractions: Variety of tourist activities (historical, cultural), sports and well-known places of interest. Accessibility: well-developed and easily-accessible transport and infrastructure. Social environment: personal safety, local people, clean environment and economic development.

Notes: Authors’ elaboration based on Baloglu and McCleary (1999), Beerli and Martín (2004), Stylos et al. (2016) and Stylidis et al. (2017).

Table 3. Attributes of the affective image.

Author	Affective Image
Baloglu and McCleary (1999), Bigné et al. (2001), Kim and Richardson (2003), Beerli and Martin (2004), Pike and Ryan (2004), Chi and Qu (2008) and Chen et al. (2016).	Unpleasant/nice; Stressful/relaxing; boring/fun; depressing/exciting
Qu et al. (2011)	Unpleasant/nice; calm/stimulating; beautiful/ugly; gloomy/exciting.
Choi, Cho, and Cai (2015)	Love, peacefulness and relaxation; contentment, optimism; arousal and pleasure
Stylos et al. (2016)	Unpleasant/nice; gloomy/exciting; distressing/relaxing; negative/positive; unfavorable/favorable; boring/fun
Stylidis et al. (2017)	Distressing/relaxing; unpleasant/nice; boring/exciting; sleepy/arousing

Source: Author’s elaboration based on Choi et al. (2015).

Figure 1. Model for the formation of the image of a cultural destination and its influence on satisfaction.

Table 4. Cognitive image construct.

Variable	Item	Acronym
Natural resources	Weather	COGIMA1
	Richness of the landscape	COGIMA2
General infrastructure	Ability to access the archaeological park by public transport	COGIMA3
	Ability to access the archaeological park by private transport	COGIMA4
Tourism infrastructure	Accessibility inside the site	COGIMA5
	Restaurants	COGIMA6
	Hotels and accommodations	COGIMA7
	Ease of obtaining tourist information at the archaeological park	COGIMA8
Leisure and recreation tourism	Activities within the archaeological park (educational and leisure activities, sports events such as races, photography contests, exhibitions)	COGIMA9
Culture, history and art	Monuments	COGIMA10
	Museums	COGIMA11
	Historical buildings	COGIMA12
	Customs and ways of life	COGIMA13
	Food	COGIMA14
	Theater festivals	COGIMA15
	Concerts	COGIMA16
	Crafts	COGIMA17
	Folklore	COGIMA18
	Guided tours of the archaeological park	COGIMA19
Natural environment	Maintenance and conservation	COGIMA20
	Cleanliness	COGIMA21
	Security service at the archaeological park	COGIMA22
	Attractiveness of the site	COGIMA23
Social environment	Hospitality and friendliness of local residents	COGIMA24
	Local quality of life	COGIMA25
Political and economic factors	Value for money of the admission to the archaeological park	COGIMA26

Table 5. Measurement instrument: individual reliability.

Factor	Indicator	Loading
COGNITIVE IMAGE	COGNITIVE1	0.889
	COGNITIVE2	0.960
	COGNITIVE3	0.976
	COGNITIVE4	0.963
	COGNITIVE5	0.971
	COGNITIVE6	0.880
AFFECTIVE IMAGE	AFFIMA1	0.865
	AFFIMA3	0.883
	AFFIMA5	0.744
OVERALL IMAGE	N/A	N/A
SATISFACTION	SAT1	0.931
	SAT2	0.940

Notes: N/A = Not applicable to these variables as they were measured with a single item and thus would have a value of 1.

Table 6. Measurement instrument: composite reliability.

Factor	Cronbach’s alpha	Composite Reliability
Cognitive image	0.974	0.979
Affective image	0.780	0.871
Overall image	1.000	1.000
Satisfaction	0.859	0.933

Table 7. Measurement instrument: convergent validity.

Factor	AVE	Rho_A
Cognitive image	0.885	0.992
Affective image	0.694	0.810
Overall image	1.000	1.000
Satisfaction	0.876	0.860

Table 8. Measurement instrument: discriminant validity (Fornell-Larcker criterion).

	Cognitive image	Affective image	Overall image	Satisfaction
Cognitive image	0.940
Affective image	0.359	0.833
Overall image	0.337	0.525	1.000
Satisfaction	0.366	0.585	0.693	0.936

Table 9. Structural analysis of the hypothesis tests.

Hypothesis	Structural relationship	Standardised path (β)	Bootstrap t-value	Support for hypothesis
H1	Cognitive image -> Affective image	0.359	3.74	SUPPORTED
H2	Cognitive image -> Overall image	0.171	1.74	SUPPORTED
H3	Affective image -> Overall image	0.463	4.97	SUPPORTED
H4	Overall image->Satisfaction	0.693	8.79	SUPPORTED

Notes: n = 5,000 subsamples: * p < .05; ** p < .01; ***p < .001 (based on a one-tailed Student’s t(4999) distribution t(0.05; 4999) = 1.645; t(0.01; 4999) = 2.327; t(0.001; 4999) = 3.092.

Table 10. Predictive relevance of the model.

Factor	R^2	Q^2
Cognitive image	0.000	0.000
Affective image	0.129	0.089
Overall image	0.300	0.271
Satisfaction	0.480	0.420

Figure 2. Resulting S.E.M. model.

Hunt, J. D. (1971). Image: A factor in tourism. Unpublished Ph.D. diss., Colorado State University, Fort Collins.

 Google Scholar

Gunn, C. A. (1972). Vacationscape: Designing tourist regions. Austin: University of Texas. Bureau of Business Research.

 Google Scholar

Crompton, J. L. (1979). An assessment of the image of Mexico as a vacation destination and the influence of geographical location upon that image. Journal of Travel Research, 17(4), 18–23. doi:10.1177/004728757901700404

 Google Scholar

Gartner, W. C. (1989). Tourism image: Attribute measurement of state tourism products using multidimensional scaling techniques. Journal of Travel Research, 28(2), 16–20. doi:10.1177/004728758902800205

 Google Scholar

Echtner, C. M., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (1991). The meaning and measurement of destination image. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 2(2), 2–12.

 Google Scholar

Baloglu, S., & McCleary, K. W. (1999). A model of destination image formation. Annals of Tourism Research, 26(4), 868–897. doi:10.1016/S0160-7383(99)00030-4

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Tasci, A. D., Gartner, W. C., & Cavusgil, S. T. (2007). Conceptualization and operationalization of destination image. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 31(2), 194–223. doi:10.1177/1096348006297290

 Google Scholar

Tasci, A. D., & Gartner, W. C. (2007). Destination image and its functional relationships. Journal of Travel Research, 45(4), 413–425. doi:10.1177/0047287507299569

 Google Scholar

Stepchenkova, S., & Morrison, A. M. (2008). Russia's destination image among American pleasure travelers: Revisiting Echtner and Ritchie. Tourism Management, 29(3), 548–560. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2007.06.003

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Lai, K., & Li, X. (2016). Tourism destination image: Conceptual problems and definitional solutions. Journal of Travel Research, 55(8), 1065–1080. doi:10.1177/0047287515619693

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Martín-Santana, J. D., Beerli-Palacio, A., & Nazzareno, P. A. (2017). Antecedents and consequences of destination image gap. Annals of Tourism Research, 62, 13–25. doi:10.1016/j.annals.2016.11.001

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Echtner, C. M., & Ritchie, J. B. (1993). The measurement of destination image: An empirical assessment. Journal of Travel Research, 31(4), 3–13. doi:10.1177/004728759303100402

 Google Scholar

Echtner, C. M., & Ritchie, J. R. (2003). The meaning and measurement of destination image [Reprint of original article published in v. 2, no. 2, 1991: 2-12.]. Journal of Tourism Studies, 14(1), 37.

 Google Scholar

Fakeye, P. C., & Crompton, J. L. (1991). Image differences between prospective, first-time, and repeat visitors to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Journal of Travel Research, 30(2), 10–16. doi:10.1177/004728759103000202

 Google Scholar

Beerli, A., & Martín, J. D. (2004). Factors influencing destination image. Annals of Tourism Research, 31(3), 657–681. doi:10.1016/j.annals.2004.01.010

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Chen, C. F., & Tsai, D. (2007). How destination image and evaluative factors affect behavioral intentions. Tourism Management, 28(4), 1115–1122. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2006.07.007

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Yang, J., He, J., & Gu, Y. (2012). The implicit measurement of destination image: The application of implicit association tests. Tourism Management, 33(1), 50–52. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2011.01.022

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Gartner, W. C., & Hunt, J. D. (1987). An analysis of state image change over a twelve-year period (1971-1983). Journal of Travel Research, 26(2), 15–19. doi:10.1177/004728758702600204

 Google Scholar

Kim, S. S., & Morrsion, A. M. (2005). Change of images of South Korea among foreign tourists after the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Tourism Management, 26(2), 233–247. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2003.11.003

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Royo-Vela, M. (2009). Rural-cultural excursion conceptualization: A local tourism marketing management model based on tourist destination image measurement. Tourism Management, 30(3), 419–428. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2008.07.013

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Bigné, J. E., Sanchez, M. I., & Sanchez, J. (2001). Tourism image, evaluation variables and after purchase behaviour: Inter-relationship. Tourism Management, 22(6), 607–616. doi:10.1016/S0261-5177(01)00035-8

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Sirakaya, E., & Woodside, A. G. (2005). Building and testing theories of decision making by travellers. Tourism Management, 26(6), 815–832. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2004.05.004

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Prayag, G., Hosany, S., Muskat, B., & Del Chiappa, G. (2017). Understanding the relationships between tourists’ emotional experiences, perceived overall image, satisfaction, and intention to recommend. Journal of Travel Research, 56(1), 41–54. doi:10.1177/0047287515620567

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Chon, K. S. (1990). The role of destination image in tourism: A review and discussion. The Tourist Review, 45(2), 2–9. doi:10.1108/eb058040

 Google Scholar

Qu, H., Kim, L. H., & Im, H. H. (2011). A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image. Tourism Management, 32(3), 465–476. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2010.03.014

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Llodrá, R. I. (2013). Gestión de la imagen del destino en el contexto del turismo 2.0: Recomendaciones estratégicas para las Organizaciones de Marketing de los Destinos (OMD).

 Google Scholar

Stylos, N., Vassiliadis, C. A., Bellou, V., & Andronikidis, A. (2016). Destination images, holistic images and personal normative beliefs: Predictors of intention to revisit a destination. Tourism Management, 53, 40–60. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2015.09.006

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Stylidis, D., Shani, A., & Belhassen, Y. (2017). Testing an integrated destination image model across residents and tourists. Tourism Management, 58, 184–195. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2016.10.014

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Kim, H., & Richardson, S. L. (2003). Motion picture impacts on destination images. Annals of Tourism Research, 30(1), 216–237. doi:10.1016/S0160-7383(02)00062-2

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Pike, S., & Ryan, C. (2004). Destination positioning analysis through a comparison of cognitive, affective, and conative perceptions. Journal of Travel Research, 42(4), 333–342. doi:10.1177/0047287504263029

 Google Scholar

Chi, C. G. Q., & Qu, H. (2008). Examining the structural relationships of destination image, tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: An integrated approach. Tourism Management, 29(4), 624–636. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2007.06.007

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Chen, C. C., Lai, Y. H. R., Petrick, J. F., & Lin, Y. H. (2016). Tourism between divided nations: An examination of stereotyping on destination image. Tourism Management, 55, 25–36. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2016.01.012

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Choi, S. H., Cho, H. J., & Cai, L. A. (2015). Interface of country affective image and its tourism: Evidence from Chinese and South Koreans. Paper Presented at Tourism Travel and Research Association: Advancing Tourism Research Globally Annual Conference. Amherst: University of Massachusetts.

 Google Scholar