Assessment of factors influencing destination image using a multiple regression model

23 Tourism Review, Vol 62, No 2/2007

A. D. A. Tasci: Assessment of Factors Influencing Destination Image

Asli D. A. Tasci

Faculty, School of Tourism and Hospitality

Management

Mugla University

Kotekli Kampusu

Mugla, Turkey

Phone: +90-(252) 211 1864

Fax: +90-(252) 223 9164

E-Mail: [email protected]

1st submission: November 17, 2006

Accepted: February 27, 2007

Destination image researchers have investigated and found that several factors have influences on desti￾nation image. Some of these factors are related to perceivers (e.g. sociodemographics and behavior); some

are related to the destination of concern (e.g. promotional materials); some are independent of both per￾ceivers and the destination (e.g. news coverage and movies); and some are methodological choices made

by researchers while measuring destination image (e.g. qualitative methods vs. quantitative methods).

However, there has been a lack of studies measuring the relative magnitude of the influence posed by dif￾ferent factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relative impact of factors influencing desti￾nation image, by analyzing the large scale and longitudinal dataset of the Michigan Regional Travel Mar￾ket Survey, applying multiple regression analysis. The nature of this secondary dataset allowed the inclu￾sion of a set of sociodemographic and travel behavior variables as well as one variable related to the sur￾vey methodology. Only few of those selected variables (i.e. age, race and visitation) were found to be

robust. Implications and future research suggestions are provided.

Key words: Destination image, image determinants, multiple regression, image model.

Assessment of Factors Influencing Destination Image

Using a Multiple Regression Model

ASLI D. A. TASCI

Abstract

1 Theoretical background Destination image, as an overall (holistic)

evaluation of a destination as well as a com￾posite of cognitive and affective compo￾nents has been postulated to be influential

on various consumer behavior variables

(Baloglu & McCleary 1999; Chen & Hsu

2000; Chen & Kerstetter 1999; Court & Lup￾ton 1997; Echtner & Ritchie 1993; Fakeye &

Crompton 1991; Fridgen 1987; Gartner

1993; Milman & Pizam 1995; Murphy 1999;

Ross 1993; Schroeder 1996). Due to this po￾tential influence on tourist behavior, re￾searchers have attempted to identify the fac￾tors that define, modify, and strengthen des￾tination image to help destination authori￾ties in their image management endeavors.

Studies have shown that several factors play

a role in the destination image formation

process; however, since the focus of this

study is on the influence of perceiver’s so￾ciodemographics, past travel behavior and

methodological factors, a brief review of lit￾erature on these factors is provided below.

Several past studies have shown the in￾fluence of perceivers’ sociodemographic

characteristics including age, gender,

household status, education, income, and

residence/geographic distance to the study

destination, while there is a lack of research

on other sociodemographic variables such

as race (Alhemoud & Armstrong 1996;

Chen & Kerstetter 1999; Hunt 1975; MacK￾ay & Fesenmaier 1997). A few researchers

revealed the impact of respondents’ resi￾dence or distance from the study destina￾tion (Alhemoud & Armstrong 1996; Chen

& Kerstetter 1999; Crompton 1979; Hunt

1975; Joppe, Martin, & Waalen 2001;

MacKay & Fesenmaier 2000; Walmsley &

Young 1998). Some researchers studied age

in relation to its influence on destination

image and found divergent results (Alhe￾moud & Armstrong 1996; Baloglu 2001;

MacKay & Fesenmaier 1997; Smith &

MacKay 2001). Few researchers have inves￾tigated the influence of gender (Chen &

Kerstetter 1999; MacKay & Fesenmaier

1997) and income (MacKay & Fesenmaier

1997) on destination image. Although race

is an influential factor on consumer behav￾ior, there is a lack of research on the race

variable in the destination image literature.

Past travel behavior variables have also

been investigated for their influence on des￾tination image. Several researchers have in￾vestigated the influence of prior visitation

on destination image and found it to be

positive (Baloglu & McCleary 1999; Dann

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