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PurposeThe main research questions addressed by this study focus on Subjective Well-Being (SWB) and to what extent the individual's SWB relates to the individual's need for personal growth. Specific interest is devoted to the effects of intentions (to have personal goals) and behavior (to achieve personal goals).Design/methodology/approachCan SWB and happiness research help to explain the tremendous growth in demanding amateur sport event participation? Most research on SWB and events has, so far been undertaken on cultural events leaving a gap related to sport events, especially obstacle running events. Bestial is an obstacle race event held in Arucas on Canary Islands, Spain. Apart from competitiveness, the race also contains elements of altruism as many competitors do help each other at various obstacles along the route, in groups (mainly) teams. A sample of 700 participants answered questions about behavior, attitudes and SWB.FindingsThe results show significant relations between SWB and both intentions and behavior but also that intentions and behavior are not correlated.Research limitations/implicationsThe “Bestial” is different from an average running event in some respects. It is a rather local event for Gran Canaria without international participation. For some participants it is more challenging and enduring but for others it is a team sport where one helps other team members to complete the race. In this study, these two types of participation have not been separated. The test of whether the SWB of participants is higher than the SWB of the average citizen is not satisfactory. Data for the average of SWB in Spain had to depend on a study from another year and where standard deviation was not available.Practical implicationsThe results of this work are useful for event managers to improve their design and develop the most appropriate marketing messages.Social implicationsThe study aims for an explanation to why demanding physical activities, such as obstacle races, are so popular. In this study of obstacle race participation, hedonia is regarded as less relevant and focus is on eudaimonia and an assumption that participants in an obstacle race have a high SWB since they can feel that they make progress towards goals. One intended contribution of this study is to distinguish between “to have a goal” and “to progress towards a goal”. Thus, the model proposed is based on hypotheses that SWB is influenced by both. Two types of goals are studied: first a mainly individualistic goal of becoming physically fit and second a more altruistic goal of “becoming a better person”.Originality/valueIn the conclusions, the importance for a happy life of simply having goals for personal growth and the value of anticipation for happiness is discussed.

Over the last three decades, tourism has experienced significant changes due to the emergence of digital platforms and services, which have transformed the industry and its associated ecosystem (Briel & Dolnicar, 2021; Buhalis et al., 2020). Digital platforms have emerged progressively as competitors for long-established (physical) suppliers of goods and services traditionally provided locally or via agencies, and often using face-to-face communication. Since its inception, tourism has been a key contributor to the economy as well as an early adopter of new technologies aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction (Buhalis et al., 2019). Not surprisingly, the sharing economy has capitalised on tourism’s favourable pre-disposition towards innovative technologies by developing a number of online platforms, which have grown rapidly to become household names (e.g. Airbnb, Couchsurfing, ToursByLocals, EatWith, and SocialCar, among others). However, the homogeneous term ‘sharing economy’ encompasses, mostly, a myriad of online relationships and activities by individuals and organizations (Reinhold & Dolnicar, 2021). This rather eclectic phenomenon includes different types of exchange and interaction between individuals, who rent, lend, trade, barter, or swap goods, services, transportation solutions, space, or money using the Internet as their main channel for this (Möhlmann, 2015).

The current importance of tourism in Latin American countries highlights the need to review tourism research in this region. This article analyzes the contributions made by researchers affiliated t...

The tourism industry is fiercely competitive at all levels. While the sector has witnessed a considerable number of new destinations emerge and bid for a share of the market, established and arguably more mature destinations compete to consolidate existing markets and develop new ones. Tourism companies are also facing the arrival of new competitors from other industries. However, this evolving pattern is as applicable to the offer as it is to the demand side of the spectrum. In today’s globalised world, tourists have an international range of choices when it comes to tourism destinations and tour operators. It is against this highly competitive backdrop that the concept of the sharing economy has arrived, initially as a philosophical alternative to more mainstream travel and hospitality options and, more recently, as a convenient - and even personalised - choice in the search for more authentic experiences by tourists with a wide range of disposable incomes (Paulauskaite et al., 2017). This breakthrough innovation has changed the tourism ecosystem as well as tourism destinations at all levels. New players have arrived, redefining relationships among stakeholders and creating new impacts in tourism cities or exacerbating existing ones, including the contested phenomenon of overtourism (see, for instance Koens et al., 2018; or Szromek et al., 2019, among others). Examples of these newcomers can be found in online platforms that range from accommodation (e.g. Airbnb, HomeAway, CouchSurfing) to transport (e.g. Uber, BlaBlaCar), and also include customer reviews (e.g. TripAdvisor), general information (e.g. Wikipedia, Wikitravel), travel guiding (e.g. Tours by Locals) and food & beverage (e.g. EatWith), among others. In fact, the advent of the sharing economy has had a profound impact on the hospitality and tourism ecosystem over the last decade, affecting almost every single one of its components (Almeida-Santana and Moreno-Gil, 2017). The rapid development of the sharing economy and particularly some of its more negative impacts have led to a number of global tourism destinations taking measures to regulate it and, in some cases, limit it considerably. These have included Barcelona (Spain), where local government stopped issuing new licenses for short-term rental accommodation nearly three years ago (Burgen, 2017). Since then, key tourism destinations globally have sought to limit the expansion of Airbnb and other short-term accommodation service platforms (Guttentag, 2018). In Europe global tourism cities such as Krakow, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris and Vienna, among others, have also sought help from the European Union to tighten up existing regulatory frameworks in this respect (Henley, 2019). However, this reaction by tourism cities is not limited to the accommodation sector. London, for instance, revoked Uber’s license to operate as a private transport provider in November 2019 as a result of irregularities found in its service provision – a decision that is currently subject to appeal by Uber (Topham, 2019). One of the issues this situation inevitably raises is the extent to which the initial ethical principles of the sharing economy have evolved over time and what role can operators such as Fairbnb play in today’s sharing economy spectrum of services and operators (Petruzzi et al., 2019).

Purpose The purpose of this study resides in a better understanding of the relationship between the use of traditional operators, online travel agencies, such as Booking.com and Expedia, comparators, tour operators and traditional travel agencies, airlines, new non-tourist companies like Google and the use of sharing economy platforms to obtain information about a travel destination. Design/methodology/approach Applying an analysis to 13,243 tourists from 19 European countries, a binomial logit analysis was carried out with the latest version of the SPSS statistical analysis program. Findings The use of Expedia and Booking.com has a positive effect on the use of sharing economy platforms to obtain information about travel destinations. However, it can also be observed how the use of Google, Facebook, tour operators and travel agencies, airlines and Twitter can have a negative effect. Practical implications The study provides interesting recommendations for destinations to be able to design better marketing strategies which focus on cognitive components of the destination image in different information sources. Originality/value Tourists search for information that helps them make better decisions when it comes to choosing a travel destination and they do so using different channels that have evolved over time. The proliferation of internet platforms has transformed the way tourists search for information and consequently the way the secondary image of destination is formed. The sharing economy plays an important role in this new tourism ecosystem. These new business models, based on platforms, coexist with other traditional information sources, tour operators and travel agencies and airlines. However, previous studies have not inquired about the relationship between them all.

This paper analyses the image that European tourists have about a destination (Canary Islands), in order to identify keywords that describe the tourist destination through the free elicitation methodology. A Computer-Aided Web Interview (CAWI) was used to conduct the research in 19 European countries, where through the free elicitation methodology, tourists associated words to destinations (Canary Islands). These association words are classified as push and pull factors, and the present study focuses on push factors. The final sample consisted of 30,094 tourist, and 237 words grouped in 23 associations. These association words are classified as push factors. Through the methodology of Social Network Analysis (SNA), the study focuses on detecting motivational push factors that define the Canary Islands as a destination. The network analysis reveals the structural characteristics of the free elicitations words network. This study helps to a better understanding of the image that a tourist has of the Canary Islands and to make a more appropriate promotion of the Canary Islands destination info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Purpose Examination of the image projected through photographs used in marketing materials can enable managers to identify opportunities for creating differentiated positioning in the marketplace. However, the impact of image projected through photographs has not received much attention in academic literature. This paper aims to establish a methodology using dynamic indices that allow a systematic comparative evaluation of the image projected through photographs used in marketing materials of lodging properties located in competing destinations. It also provides an empirical examination of the type of image projected through photographs of lodging properties in those destinations. Design/methodology/approach Analysis was conducted using a content analysis methodology. A total of 17,187 photographs of 5,820 lodging properties located in 15 different tourism destinations over a period of eight years were examined. Findings Results revealed that the proposed methodology based on dynamic comparative indices is appropriate for determining the projected image of lodging properties. The dynamic indices, which categorise photographs in three main categories: subject (people), activities (actions carried out) and contextualisation (location), allowed a systematic evaluation of the image projected of lodging properties in competing destinations. Results of the empirical analysis indicated important differences in the image projected through photographs among lodging properties located in 15 destinations. Practical implications This study provides the industry and destination marketing organisations (DMOs) with a useful and simple tool for comparatively evaluating the image projected by tourism accommodations. The methodology proposed enables managers to identify the current image and the changes in the image of their lodging properties, their destinations and those of their main competitors over the years, thus providing opportunities for development of more effective differentiation and positioning strategies in their respective target markets. Originality/value The proposed tool provides a methodology that can be used to categorise and evaluate the image represented on the photographs used in marketing materials to ensure the projection of the intended image. Furthermore, the proposed methodological tool enables managers to monitor the image projected through photographs used in competitors’ marketing materials and identify changes in their image projected over time.

The present study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the image of museums, differentiating between perceptions of Visitors (residents and tourists) and Directors in the museums of a sun and ...

El propósito de este estudio es examinar como contribuyen los distintos tipos de riesgos (terrorismo, accidente, delincuencia, salud, catástrofes) a los que se enfrenta los turistas a la percepción de riesgo final sobre los destinos. Asimismo, el trabajo analiza el efecto mode-rador del destino en las relaciones causales establecidas entre los tipos de riesgos y el riesgo percibido. Para ello se comparan dos grupos de destinos: Europa (Islas Canarias, España) y Latinoamérica, con los destinos de Brasil y Colombia. El trabajo se realizó mediante encuestas online a través de una empresa especializada en los mercados potenciales de Alemania y Reino Unido. El análisis se llevó a cabo mediante un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para probar las relaciones causales planteadas. Aunque la percepción de seguridad y protección y su influencia en el comportamiento del turismo es importante para la promoción y gestión de las actividades turísticas, su análisis empírico ha recibido una atención limitada entre los investigadores. Los resultados de este trabajo muestran interesantes conclusiones prácticas y académicas para las organizaciones empresariales y la promoción de los destinos turísticos. The purpose of this study is to examine how the different types of risks (terrorism, accident, crime, health, catastrophes) that tourists face contributes to the perception of final risk on destinations. Likewise, the paper analyzes the moderating effect of destination in the causal relationships established between the types of risks and the perceived risk. For this, two groups of destinations are compared: Europe (Canary Islands, Spain) and Latin America, with the destinations of Brazil and Colombia. The work was carried out through online surveys through a company specialized in the potential markets of Germany and the United Kingdom. The analysis was carried out using a model of structural equations (SEM) to prove the causal relationships raised. Although the perception of safety and protection and its influence on the behavior of tourism is important for the promotion and management of tourism activities, its empirical analysis has received limited attention among researchers. The results of this work show interesting practical and academic conclusions for business organizations and the promotion of tourist destinations.

This paper analyses the use of the main e-tourism platforms by European tourists. A computer-aided Web interview (CAWI) was used to conduct the research in 19 European countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. The final sample consisted of 13,243 tourists. Through the methodology of Social Network Analysis (SNA), the study focuses on detecting key network players (social media, OTAs, etc.) in the e-tourism ecosystem. The network analysis reveals the structural characteristics of the network of networks in the European e-tourism ecosystem: number of platforms (473), centrality degree and betweenness, and the specific characteristics of the networks by country. The results show an e-tourism network of platforms following a pattern known as core-periphery. Four platforms show a predominant role: Facebook, TripAdvisor, Google, and Booking. These ‘big four’ ego-networks are graphically represented to better understand the e-tourism network. The results also show that different networks are formed by country according to the use of e-tourism platforms. This study helps understand in a novel way the behaviour of European tourists when using e-tourism platforms to choose their travel destination. The results obtained are useful for companies and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), understanding how e-tourism platforms are connected in order to design their segmentation and promotion strategy through e-tourism platforms in the European market.

The aim of this article is to quantify the impact of tour operators' marketing strategies on the price of sun and beach package holidays. The published information of 15 tourist destinations in Spain, Turkey, Egypt, Malta, and Cyprus, was examined from a hedonic price perspective. The analysis included 5789 holiday packages advertised in the brochures of the most relevant European holiday groups ‒ TUI and Thomas Cook. The variables were divided into: country and destination variables, specific accommodation variables, and tour operator variables. The results confirmed the impact of tour operators' variables on price through their brands, ownership of accommodations, specific segments they target, awards and incentives, promotional space, and pictorial elements in their brochures. Besides, some accommodation elements that have been under-researched: Wi-Fi, water parks, or independent awards, were also significant. Finally, significant differences were found among the analysed destinations. The study could be relevant for tour operators, accommodations and destinations alike, in order to improve their negotiation and promotion.

Tourism loyalty is a key topic that has been covered in literature mainly from a very homogenous perspective. This study analyses horizontal loyalty (consumer's loyalty divided among several destinations), and explains the background factors that affect this behaviour (cognitive, affective and overall destination image; information sources; motivations; socio-demographic characteristics; previous behaviour; conative loyalty). The paper also identifies the differences between the explanatory factors of horizontal loyalty and one-single-destination loyalty. Applying a comprehensive analysis with 6964 tourists from 17 European countries in the context of Canary Islands (Spain), the study provides interesting recommendations for destinations with a view to better designing marketing activities and improving their coopetition strategies and competitiveness.

The aim of this study is to identify spending patterns of tourists in relation to the leisure activities performed throughout their day-by-day stay at the destination. Using the methodology of soci...

En este artículo se analiza la imagen de un destino turístico, siendo este un tema crítico para el éxito del mismo. El artículo desarrolla una amplia revisión teórica con un trabajo empírico que permite comprender mejor los factores que influyen en dicha imagen y las motivaciones del destino. La imagen es analizada desde un enfoque multidimensional, considerando su componente cognitivo y racional, afectivo o emocional, y la imagen general, resultado de las dos anteriores. El trabajo analiza la influencia que la fidelidad y el país de origen tienen en los diferentes componentes de la imagen. También se analiza la influencia que la fidelidad, el país de origen, el género, la edad y la composición del grupo de viaje tienen en las motivaciones del turista para visitar el destino.

Making the right impression is paramount to succeed in today’s very competitive market, where photographs have acquired a prominent role in doing so. The evaluation and analysis of destination image have been tackled mainly from the perspective of the tourists’ perceptions. However, the projected image of destinations has received limited attention in the literature and the topic has not yet been successfully operationalized. Moreover, existing literature on the projected image on photographs (PIP) is scattered and lacking of an integral approach. Thus, the aim of this article is to fill this gap by carrying a comprehensive literature review on the destination’s PIP, covering information sources analyzed, destinations included, number of pictures, time framework, methodology, and specially categorization (people, activities represented, and tourism context) and specific attributes used. As a result, this article provides researchers with a reference guide to understand the current situation of the research on this topic, context, methods, and focus of previous studies. Finally, it identifies trends and reflections on future research.

Purpose This paper aims to better understand museums’ image. The study examined the influence of visitors’ socio-demographic (gender, social class), tripographic (party group, previous experience with the museum and timing of the decision to visit the museum) and geographic characteristics (national – international visitors), on the different components and dimensions of perceived museums’ image (cognitive and affective) in a major tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach This research focussed on museums located on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). The population of the study included museum attendees who visited the main museums of the island (13 museums). The selection of respondents (252) was made following a systematic random sampling at the exit gate of the museums. Findings The repeat visitors and those who plan the visit in advance were found to have a more positive museums’ image for both the cognitive and the affective components of museum image. There was also a positive influence of party group on the cognitive and affective dimensions of image, whereas families showed a less positive image. In addition, there were significant relationships between the visitors’ socio-demographic characteristics of gender, and social class, and the affective and cognitive components of image – women and higher classes achieving a better image. National visitors also showed a more positive image on both the cognitive and affective components of museum image. Six image dimensions were found and specific effects on each are discussed. Originality/value This study adds to the growing literature on museums for a better understanding of the perceived image of this cultural product (museums) at the destination, and how it can be managed according to the profile of their publics. Additionally, it considers the different dimensions of museums’ image: quality of visitation experience, convenience and functionality, price, general appearance, museum shop and affective image.

Increasingly destination management organizations are engaging with consumers through digital media, communicating with them in a long-term relationship. Numerous studies have shown that social media influence the intentions of travellers to visit one destination over another. However, the literature has paid little attention to the relationship between information-seeking behaviour and the development of destination loyalty. In that sense, this study analyses how tourists are consulting more digital information and using several different information sources, which influences the time tourists are sharing at a few destinations, becoming more loyal to multiple destinations at the same time (horizontal loyalty). However, this topic has not yet been stressed in the tourism context. This study therefore attempts to show that: (a) the difference in behaviour when it comes to the use of several information sources, depending on tourists’ profiles (nationality and socio-demographic characteristics), and (b) although there are no significant differences regarding the use of the different social media in terms of destination-loyal and horizontal-loyal tourists, the impact of the different sources of information on loyalty (behavioural and attitudinal) is different. Social media has a greater impact on attitudinal loyalty. To achieve those goals, a wide survey with 6964 questionnaires was developed, considering tourists from 17 European countries. Those results are useful in making decisions concerning digital development strategies and loyalty programs to tourist destinations.

There is currently a growing concern about the consequences of tourism activity on the environment. In this regards, sustainable management is understood as a key element that can help destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to improve a tourist destination&rsquo, s competitiveness. This study provides some clues about the best way to develop the image and branding of a destination using the concept of sustainable image. Through an analysis of 28,947 tourists from 18 European countries, this paper studies what sociodemographic, cultural, and behavioral characteristics of tourists influence their perception of sustainable destination. The results of the binomial logit analysis show that destination primary and secondary images, motivations, cultural background of tourists, and sociodemographic characteristics are determinant factors explaining the perception of sustainable destination image (SDI). Thus, the fundamental role of segmentation to positioning a destination as a sustainable destination is suggested. The study provides interesting recommendations for DMOs in order to be able to design better marketing strategies focused on destination image.

El presente ensayo o pieza de revisión es un intento de brindar al lector una lectura holística del problema de la imagen y su disociación respecto a la marca o proceso de construcción de marca. Centrados en la industria hotelera (producto alojativo), la propuesta sugiere dos asuntos significativos. Por un lado, existe una necesidad de introducir nuevos estudios cualitativos que complementen los puntos que no tienen respuesta sobre el rol que juega el conocimiento como aspecto de intención de compra. Por el otro, cada producto se encuentra inserto en una matriz de tiempo, en cuyo caso, estudiar la evolución de la imagen a lo largo de la vida del producto se hace una cuestión de importancia para los analistas de marketing. Así mismo, el ensayo hace énfasis en la interacción microsocial (cara a cara) como forma relacional para el posicionamiento de los productos hoteleros.Ello demuestra que existe una tendencia hacia la fragmentación (segmentación) que debe ser discutida y analizada. The present essay review or review paper is oriented to give the readers with an allpervading explanation revolving around the problem of image and its dissociation from branding or the branding process. Based on the hospitality industry (or lodging product) our approach has two significant aspects. On one hand, there is an urgent need of introducing emergent and fresh qualitative studies which complement the open answers regarding the role of knowledge in the purchasing process. On another, no less true is that each product is enrooted into a temporal matrix, in which case the evolution of the branding process seems to be a point of discussion which be brought into the foreground by the side of marketing analysts. Still further, our argument emphasizes on the crucial role of face-to-face interaction as a relational platform to position hotel-related products. This evinces that tourism and hospitality industries are leading towards an inevitable fragmentation which merits to be discussed and scrutinized. &nbsp

The present study aims to provide greater insight into the trends affecting traditional travel agencies and propose strategies to improve their competitiveness. This research develops a qualitative study with three complementary steps: (1) focus groups were held with the main travel agency segments (corporate and holidays), to analyze their motivations and perceptions; (2) interviews were conducted with managers and experts to analyze customers' perceptions and emphasize some of the main trends affecting this industry; and finally, (3) interviewees were asked to propose strategies to overcome the future trends previously identified. With this objective in mind, this research integrates both perspectives: demand and supply, to propose actions and strategies for future scenarios, which is especially valuable due to the difficult situation of travel agencies in Spain. Finally, after identifying the 14 main trends in the industry and 23 recommended strategies, the study also proposes some useful future research topics for the industry.

The sharing economy has emerged as an alternative of suppliers of goods and services traditionally provided by long-established industries. Since its inception, the tourism industry has presented itself as one of the sectors that has allowed it to keep growing and in which the sharing economy has had a greater impact. Thus, this study analyses 'collaborative tourism' (the sharing economy in tourism) and the use of other information sources (comparators, social media) and explores the profile and behaviour of tourists who participate in it (socio-demographic characteristics, nationalities and travel motivations). The paper also identifies the differences between the profile of tourists who use different kinds of collaborative platforms (Airbnb, HomeAway, TripAdvisor, Wikipedia, Coachsurfing and BlaBlaCar), differentiating between platforms where an economic transaction is required and those that are free. The results indicate the existence of a grouping together of cultures (countries) in four segments, depending on the use they do of sharing economy platforms. Applying a comprehensive analysis with 9,383 tourists from 19 European countries, the study provides interesting conclusions for destinations with a view to better designing marketing activities across different European countries.

Many brands exist within the tourism industry. Territorial brands exist at local, regional, national, and supranational level where they overlap and are interrelated. Therefore, it is necessary that tourist destinations develop and manage their brands to obtain a strong differentiated position in the competitive market. This study analyzed relationships between destinations in the new global scenario. It aimed to improve brand architecture and increase tourist loyalty. A comprehensive analysis considering 6,964 tourists from 17 countries was applied. The study offered recommendations to destinations in order to expand the design of marketing activities, improve coopetition strategies, and advance competitiveness. The results confirmed that the destinations must adapt their promotional strategies to the new global landscape of interconnected business. In addition, they need to develop strategies for horizontal loyalty between destinations.

Considerando la creciente importancia del turismo en Portugal y el papel protagonista que desempeña este sector en su economía, es notoria la necesidad de analizar la investigación turística que los investigadores e instituciones de este país realizan en el ámbito turístico. El presente artículo analiza la contribución realizada por aquellos investigadores afiliados a instituciones portuguesas en revistas académicas especializadas en turismo, tanto de ámbito nacional, como internacional. El análisis permite identificar aquellas instituciones y autores que han realizado un mayor esfuerzo de investigación y difusión en turismo. El artículo presenta no sólo un ranking de instituciones y autores, sino que también analiza el ámbito geográfico de la aplicación de las investigaciones, el número de coautores medio por trabajo, el número de citas, las revistas en las que publican más activamente sus trabajos y la evolución temporal (2006-2011) del resultado obtenido en la investigación turística. Finalmente, se establecen una serie de conclusiones en relación a la situación actual de la investigación en turismo en Portugal.

Rapid technological change is leading to the introduction of new ways of providing services in the tourism industry. However, the human factor is also key in providing satisfaction to visitors. This article evaluates the preferences of visitors for different service designs at tourist information offices (TIOs). The methodology used is discrete choice experiments. Results show that visitors place higher values on information services received through personal interaction than through automated processes based on new technology. The implication is that the personal interaction continues to be an important element in the design of TIOs, but that new technology may increase the quality of the provision of services and visitor satisfaction. The methodology employed also allows us to identify different visitors’ segments based on their preferences for TIO services.

This chapter attempts to expand the comprehension of important driving forces in hospitality marketing. The aim is twofold: (1) it provides a theoretical framework related to the current state of the art of hospitality in relation to its connection to tourist destinations as well as the implications of this relationship for future design hospitality marketing strategies and (2) it maps and categorizes some of the main trends influencing future hospitality marketing as well as the implications of these trends.

Self-contained and serviced apartments (SCSAs) are a primary offering at some destinations. To improve offerings for this type of accommodation, and consequently the competitiveness of the destination, understanding the direct or composite variables (i.e., dimensions that determine the image of SCSAs and the variables’ effect on the overall image of the accommodation product) is important. However, despite the apparent importance for commercial success, no previous research analyzed the nature of this image. This study, conducted in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain), encompasses a sample of 271 tourists, lodged at SCSAs, who completed a questionnaire at the airport departure terminal. An exploratory factor analysis examined both dimensions (cognitive and affective) followed by a logistic regression to analyze the influence of the different dimensions on the overall image of SCSAs. The empirical results suggest that, indeed, both main dimensions influence SCSAs’ overall image. For SCSAs on the Canary Islands, affective image is the formation of one factor—“SCSA’s affective image”—whereas cognitive image forms from seven factors. The logistic regression of the data further revealed that “SCSA affective image” is the most influential factor on SCSAs’ overall image, followed by four cognitive factors: “Personnel and cleanliness,” “Primary services,” “Outdoor areas,” and “Kitchen.” Such prioritizing provides destination marketing organizations with detailed information for better integrating marketing initiatives and, for owners, measures directed toward improving SCSA services and facilities.

Tourism destinations are increasingly concerned about global climate change and considering to become involved in the adoption of mitigation policies that reduce global emissions. On the other hand, behavioral sciences have shown that consumers’ choices may be significantly influenced by the way that they are framed. In this article, we test the impact of alternative ways to frame the pricing of climate change policies on the values and preferences of tourists. The evidence comes from three different experiments on a proposal to mitigate climate change through a carbon offset program using both an opt-out pricing frame and in an opt-in pricing frame. The results show that the opt-out frame led to a larger probability of accepting to pay the price for a carbon offset policy proposal. The main implication is that destinations’ climate change policies should take into account the designs of the frame in which policies are posed. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

This study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the image formation process as it relates to museums with a view to comparing and contrasting tourists and residents as the two main target segments for this high-quality attraction. This study theoretically develops and empirically tests a measurement model of the museum image formation process, integrating the processes for both residents and tourists. The model also examines visitor motivations and information sources as conditioning variables. Finally, it studies the effect of visitor image on satisfaction with the museum visitation experience. The results of this study suggest that residents and tourists have some differences in their image formation process following visitation to a museum. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

The objective of this work is to clarify the role of self-congruity, understood as congruity between tourists’ self-concept and the image of a destination, in their choice of it. The empirical research finds that the greater the agreement between a destination’s image and one’s self-concept, the greater the tendency for the tourist to visit that place. Moreover, self-congruity loses this determining power when one has already visited a place. The findings further suggest that the greater the tourist’s involvement in leisure tourism, the greater its power to predict destination choice.

This article analyzes two crucial aspects of services marketing, service recovery and customer loyalty, and their influence on perceived service quality. SERVQUAL was used as the instrument for measuring service quality, and hotel customers in Spain made up the sample. The application of factor analysis highlights a clear distinction between tangible and non-tangible dimensions of service quality for both hotel receptions and hotel restaurants. The results indicate that for non-tangible dimensions of service quality, the quality of service perceived by customers will increase if the customer is loyal, and/or if the customer experiences a service recovery during the visit. However, for tangible dimensions, these two factors have no influence on perceived service quality. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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El presente trabajo analiza el nivel de satisfacción de los clientes que viajan por medio de un paquete turístico ofertado por un turoperador. Se estudian los diferentes servicios relacionados con las actividades de ocio y el proceso de disfrute del tiempo libre en el destino; disponiéndose así de la satisfacción obtenida respecto a los principales componentes de estos servicios y sus implicaciones. En este sentido, se ha desarrollado un estudio empírico a través de 956 entrevistas personales realizadas en el destino de República Dominicana, y llevadas a cabo en sus dos principales zonas turísticas: Puerto Plata y Punta Cana. Finalmente, se comentan las revelaciones más destacadas de este trabajo empírico, resaltando que existen importantes diferencias significativas respecto a la satisfacción de los clientes entre los distintos atributos de servicio prestado por el turoperador en el destino.

Gay tourism is seen as an attractive business opportunity for many destinations. However, there is a lack of research at identifying the resources necessary for success in this type of tourism. This work is aimed at filling this gap by using the premises of the resource based view and transfers them to the analysis of territories to identify the valuable resources that are required for a sun and beach destination to attract gay tourists. To this end, this study has focused on a gay tourism sub niche, tourists lodged in gay-exclusive resorts in Gran Canaria. In order to confirm the validity of this approach, the relationship between the satisfaction of gay tourists and the condition of the valuable resources was studied by means of a robust statistical new method, namely Bayesian model averaging. That method permits the inclusion of uncertainty in the theoretical models that determine destination competitiveness, thus reducing many of the problems that arise in the application of the more conventional statistical methods in this type of analysis. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

The objective of this study was to measure the immediate impacts of a film on the perceptions of viewers from different countries. The film chosen for this experiment was the Motorcycle Diaries in which South America was featured prominently in the film. Using established scales from the tourism and marketing literature, viewers from the USA, Canada and Spain were surveyed before and after seeing the film, and results showed that the film did change the viewers' perceptions of South America. After watching the film, a large percentage of the respondents expressed a desire to visit the countries seen in the film, with Canadians showing a significantly higher desire to visit South America than the US and Spanish participants. Those who were motivated to travel by the film were especially influenced by the scenery, landscape and the cultural attractions of the destination as depicted in the movie. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

La presente investigación pretende analizar las organizaciones regionales de turismo, centrándose en el caso de «Abruzzo Promozione Turismo», organización que gestiona y promociona el turismo en la Región Abruzzo (Italia), debido al reciente cambio en la legislación italiana que amplia de forma importante las competencias de estas organizaciones. El estudio comenta las funciones de esta organización, así como sus líneas de actuación centradas en dos ejes principales: promoción del destino (exterior e interior) y desarrollo de recursos locales. Así mismo, se estudia el funcionamiento de «Abruzzo Promozione Turismo», analizándose los indicadores de control empleados por esta organización (actuales y futuros) y el proceso de evaluación y retroalimentación. Además, se señalan algunos factores clave de éxito señalados por los expertos como críticos para el éxito de una organización regional de destino. Finalmente, este trabajo pretende servir de modelo comparativo para otras organizaciones regionales de destino, así como explicar algunas de las diferencias entre estos organismos existentes en Italia.

El artículo realiza una profunda revisión teórica de un término de creciente interés: la experiencia. Se aborda la comprensión de las dimensiones de la experiencia turística, cómo analizarlas, y cómo desarrollar y comunicar una experiencia turística, presentado especial atención a la marca y los eventos como paradigma promocional de la misma. Como aportaciones principales, este trabajo analiza e identifica la situación de la investigación sobre experiencias turísticas, y finaliza con una propuesta: matriz de diseño de la experiencia, para la implementación práctica de experiencias en un destino. This paper goes through a comprehensive literature review in order to properly deal with such an important topic as «the experience». This work examines the experience dimensions, how to analyze them, and how to develop and promote a tourist experience, paying attention to the brand and events as a paradigmatic promotional tool. The main contribution of this paper focus in identifying state of the art about tourist experiences research, and it shows an operative framework to put into practice the tourist experience in a destination.

Accommodation image has been scarcely researched in the literature and is worthy of further investigation. Moreover, to date, no previous studies have analysed non-hotel accommodation image, even when this type of accommodation is the primary offer of some tourist destinations and plays a critical role in the overall perception of the destination. This research aims for a deeper understanding of accommodation image. Thus, after an extensive review of the literature, the aim is to obtain the main dimensions of cognitive image that characterise this product and to analyse how these dimensions affect the overall accommodation image. Finally, this research analyses the influence of motivations on the formation of accommodation image. Tourists motivated by ‘fun and prestige’ evaluate accommodation image more positively than tourists motivated by ‘relaxation, knowledge, and social interaction’. The study highlights the academic and practical implications of these findings.

Teniendo en cuenta la relevancia del sector turístico en Argentina y Chile y las posibilidades de expansión y desarrollo que presentan los destinos, es notoria la necesidad de analizar la investigación turística que los investigadores e instituciones académicas realizan en el ámbito turístico. El presente artículo analiza la contribución realizada por aquellos investigadores afiliados a instituciones argentinas y chilenas en revistas académicas especializadas en turismo, tanto de ámbito nacional, como internacional. El análisis permite identificar aquellas instituciones y autores que han realizado un mayor esfuerzo de investigación y difusión en turismo. El artículo presenta no sólo un ranking de instituciones y autores, sino que también analiza el ámbito geográfico de la aplicación de las investigaciones, el número de coautores medio por trabajo, las citas de los trabajos, las revistas o publicaciones específicas en las que publican más activamente sus trabajos y la evolución temporal del resultado obtenido en la investigación turística. Finalmente, se establecen una serie de conclusiones en relación a la situación actual de la investigación en turismo en Argentina y Chile.

Considerando la creciente importancia del turismo en México y el papel protagonista que este país desempeña en el panorama turístico internacional, es notoria la necesidad de analizar la investigación turística que los investigadores e instituciones de este país realizan en el ámbito turístico. El presente artículo analiza la contribución realizada por aquellos investigadores afiliados a instituciones mexicanas en revistas académicas especializadas en turismo, tanto de ámbito nacional, como internacional. El análisis permite identificar aquellas instituciones y autores que han realizado un mayor esfuerzo de investigación y difusión en turismo. El artículo presenta no sólo un ranking de instituciones y autores, sino que también analiza el ámbito geográfico de la aplicación de las investigaciones, el número de coautores medio por trabajo, las citas de los trabajos, las revistas o publicaciones específicas en las que publican más activamente sus trabajos y, la evolución temporal del resultado obtenido en la investigación turística. Finalmente, se establece una serie de conclusiones en relación a la situación actual de la investigación en turismo en México.