Tourist Perceptions Of Factors Influencing Destination .
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 7 (4) - (2018) ISSN: 2223-814XCopyright: 2018 AJHTL /Author/s- Open Access- Online @ http//: www.ajhtl.comTourist perceptions of factors influencing destinationimage: a case study of selected Kimberley resortsRene HaarhoffHead of Department: Tourism & Event ManagementCentral University of Technology, Free StateSouth AfricaEmail: rnel@cut.ac.zaAbstractDestination image is the sum of perceptual beliefs, knowledge, affective feeling, and total impressionthat a visitor holds about a particular destination, and it plays a critical role in determining purchasedecisions in the destination-choice process, and the attractiveness of a destination. In order for adestination or resort to be differentiated from its competitors, destination management must have acorrelative perception and image of quality, as the consumer does. The formation of image isdetermined by the attributes or characteristics a destination has to offer, and by the exposition ofinformation the tourist receives about a destination. These factors are known as the external factors.Image formation is also influenced by personal factors like motivation, past experiences, attitudes andexpectations, which are known as internal factors. Tourist destination images are important becausethey influence the decision- making behaviour of potential tourists. A good perception leads to a positivedestination image, leads tourist satisfaction – which in turn results in destination loyalty.The aim of this research was to determine whether the perception of the resorts has an influence onthe visitation levels of the resorts. The resorts have reported consecutive years of low visitation andprofit levels. A questionnaire was used to collect data from visitors to resorts. Unfortunately, the resultsindicate the visitors perceived the overall satisfaction as well the experience of staying at the resort asbeing average to poor. In order to ensure sustainability of the resort, it is suggested that resortmanagement focus on improvement of resort’s image.Keywords: destination image, destination choice, Kimberley, resorts, tourist perception.IntroductionDestination image is the sum of perceptual beliefs, knowledge, affective feeling, and totalimpression that a visitor holds about a destination, and it plays a critical role in determiningpurchase decisions in the destination-choice process, and the attractiveness of a destination(Kotler & Gertner, 2002). Destination choice is determined by the attributes a destinationoffers, and also by the characteristics of the tourist (Lopes, 2011).The White Paper on Development and Promotion of Tourism in the Northern Cape (NCPG,2005) suggests that understanding tourists’ perceptions of a destination is of paramountimportance, as they play a valuable role in the marketing of a destination. Image plays animportant role for destination marketers – to differentiate the destination in this highlycompetitive market (Yilmaz, Yilmaz, Dçigen, Ekin, & Utku, 2009). The Tourism Master Planfor the Northern Cape Province identifies the province, and, in particular, Kimberley, as beinga region which could be developed into a successful and competitive tourism destination inSouth Africa and in the international market space (NCDT, 2004).In order for a destination, like the Northern Cape, to be differentiated from its competitors,destination management must have a correlative perception (Zouni & Kouremenos, 2008) andimage Moutinho (2000:41) of quality, as the consumer does. The formation of image isdetermined by the attributes or characteristics a destination has to offer, and by the expositionof information the tourist receives about a destination (Molina, Gomez, Martín-Consuegra,2010). These factors are known as the external factors. Image formation is also influenced by1
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 7 (4) - (2018) ISSN: 2223-814XCopyright: 2018 AJHTL /Author/s- Open Access- Online @ http//: www.ajhtl.compersonal factors like motivation, past experiences, attitudes and expectations (Chen, Chen,Lee, et al., 2011), which are known as internal factors (George, 2008:169). From this it can bededuced that individuals hold different images, and these images are based on individuals’perceptions.This research explores important concepts of (i) tourist perception, (ii) destination image and(iii) the internal and external factors that influence destination image, and also the (iv) touristdecision-making process. The research then gives an explanation of the relationship betweenthese four concepts.Literature reviewTourist perceptionPerception can be defined as the process by which an individual select, organises andinterprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the destination (Cant, Strydom,Jooste & Du Plessis, 2009:79; Jordaan & Prinsloo, 2004:177; Rajesh, 2013). Perceptioncomprises consumers’ motivations, learning, attitudes, and previous experience. It issubjective in nature and will therefore be different for each consumer. This, in turn, will resultin the consumer attitudes towards a product and/or service provider that may fluctuate overtime. Perception thus refers to the way in which consumers interpret messages via theirsenses in order to make a decision when buying a product.Consumers generally perceive what is expected of the product/service, which is normallybased on familiarity, previous experience, values and motivations (Bajs, 2011; Baloglu &McCleary, 1999; Beerli & Martin, 2004; Cakici & Harman, 2007; Chaudhary, 2000; Henkel,Henkel, Agrusa, Agrusa & Tanner, 2006).Krippendorf (1982) indicates that tourists’ perception of a destination can be more importantthan its tangible attributes, and that “the tourist goes to a destination to see the image ratherthan the reality”. Perception remains one of the most engrossing concepts in marketing andtourism. A variety of perception studies exist in the tourism field (Bajs, 2011; Baloglu &McCleary, 1999; Beerli & Martin, 2004; Cakici & Harman, 2007; Chaudhary, 2000; Frochot &Kreziak, 2008; Henkel et al., 2006; Jenkins, 1999; Kim & Brown, 2012; Mohammed, 2014;Prebezac & Mikulic, 2008).Due to the intangible nature of tourism offerings, tourists must make decisions based on howa destination is perceived (George, 2008:169). Thus, understanding tourist perception isextremely complex, as each individual has unique perceptions – and measuring perceptionsis even more challenging due to the diverse characteristics of tourism products, specifically ata resort (Mohammad, 2014). Differences in perceptions often lead to variations in touristbehavioural intent, and a key implication of this for tourism is that perceptions, like attitudes,are crucial in constructing tourist involvement, destination image, satisfaction, and servicequality (Cohen, Prayag & Moital, 2014). In order to promote tourism and market destination, itis important to study tourist attitudes, behaviour and demands (Mohsin, 2005). Factors thataffect perception and destination image are discussed later in the research.Given the information possessed about a destination, the tourist will form an image of it (Bajs,2011). This image is a description of the tourist’s attitude towards a number of cues related toa destination’s attributes. Physical attributes of a destination act only as stimuli inducingcertain associations, and thus the image is not what the product actually is but what thetourist’s beliefs tend to construct (Kim & Brown, 2012). Perception and image are terms thatare closely related and it can be deduced that the perception process affects the image atourist has of a destination. Destination image and the factors which affect destination imageare discussed in the next section.2
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 7 (4) - (2018) ISSN: 2223-814XCopyright: 2018 AJHTL /Author/s- Open Access- Online @ http//: www.ajhtl.comDestination ImageDestination image is one of the most discussed topics in modern tourism (Echtner & Ritchie,2003; Pan & Xiang, 2011). Definitions of destination image have developed over the years.Ultimately, researchers agree that destination image is a valuable concept with regard totourist destination choice (Baloglu & McCleary, 1999; Beerli & Martin, 2004). Destinationimage is also a key marketing tool that can have a powerful influence over tourist decisionsabout where to take their vacation (Echtner & Ritchie, 2003). According to Lopes (2011) adestination with a strong image is more easily differentiated from its competitors, and touristsare more likely to consider and select destinations with stronger and more positive images.Aksoy and Kiyci (2011) support this by adding that destinations with strong infrastructure,sufficient investment, positive images, and a variety of products gain much more share fromthe market.Factors that Influence Destination ImageDestination image, as identified by Baloglu and McCleary (1999), is formed by a combinationof internal and external factors. Internal factors are the individual (tourist) characteristics like,among others, personality, past experiences, and motivations that influence the formation oftourists’ destination image. External factors are stimulus factors and include socio-economicfactors like culture, price, destination marketing, and as factors that influence destinationimage formation. Figure 1 (below) depicts the internal and external factors that influence theformation of tourist destination image. Each factor is then discussed individually.Internal FactorsExternal FactorsPersonalityCulturePast ExperiencesPriceAttitudesDestination ageFigure 1: Factors that influence destination imageSource: Author’s own compilationInternal factorsInternal factors are those psychological factors such as personality, past experiences, attitude,learning, expectations and motives that affect an individual’s perceptual process to aconsiderable extent (Beerli & Martin, 2004; Cakici & Harman, 2007). These factors, in turn,3
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 7 (4) - (2018) ISSN: 2223-814XCopyright: 2018 AJHTL /Author/s- Open Access- Online @ http//: www.ajhtl.comaffect tourists’ formation of destination image. Factors that are compatible with a tourist’slearning, interest, attitude and personality are likely to get more attention than others Moutinho(2000:46). Ryan (1991) describes holiday tourism as “the means by which people seekpsychological benefits that arise from expectations, new places and new situations that are ofa temporary duration, whilst free from constraints of work, or normal patterns of daily life athome”. Internal factors that influence destination image are now discussed.PersonalityPersonality refers to those psychological characteristics of people which determine and reflecttheir reaction to environmental influences (Cant et al., 2009:83). It can be defined as theconfiguration of a person’s characteristics and ways of behaving, which determine his/heradjustment to the environment in a unique way Moutinho (2000:44). According to (Lubbe,1998), personality is created by patterns of behaviour and mental structures, while Moutinho(2000) adds that it is an emphasis of an individual’s past history on their current behaviour.George (2008:171) states that marketers have discovered that personality is associated withself-image, which is how consumers like to see themselves, which in turn affects their buyingbehaviour. While researchers (Aksoy & Kiyci, 2011; Beerli & Martin, 2004; Moutinho, 2000)seem to indicate that individual traits are not good predictors of behaviour, it is a well-knownthat marketers use personality traits to describe individuals and to differentiate between them.The consideration of personality traits is important in order to appraise destination behaviourtrends.Past ExperiencesWhen tourists visit a destination, experience of that destination is gained through a variety ofsources. The tourist then builds an inventory of destinations comprised of good and badexperiences. This information/inventory will be stored and used as future reference, whenselecting a tourism destination in future (George, 2008:171). Past experiences have an impacton what tourists perceive. According to Beerli and Martin (2004), every person has a uniqueperception which is affected by all events in the individual’s life. These events affect touristthinking and play a vital role in perception. Learning from previous experiences has a criticaleffect throughout the stages of the perceptual process.Moutinho (2000:48) states that past experiences are closely associated with everyday life andplay a major role in consumer choice. Therefore, positive experiences that are reinforced insimilar situations may generate strong biases towards that situation which in turn influencesthe consumer’s final choice.AttitudesAttitudes are a combination of knowledge and positive and negative feelings about an event,person or object (Aksoy & Kiyci, 2011; Lubbe, 1998). An attitude encompasses an individual’svalue system, which represents personal standards of what is good and bad and also rightand wrong (Cant et al., 2009:82). Moutinho (2000:50) defines an attitude as a predispositioncreated by learning and experience – to respond in a consistent way towards an object suchas a product or destination. If tourists have a negative experience at a hotel or resort, it is likelythat a negative attitude is developed which will deter them from returning.ExpectationsExpectations are pre-trial beliefs a tourist has about the performance of a destination. This isused as the standard or reference against which the actual performance is judged. Zeithaml,Berry and Parasuraman (1993) have developed a model of consumer expectations.4
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 7 (4) - (2018) ISSN: 2223-814XCopyright: 2018 AJHTL /Author/s- Open Access- Online @ http//: www.ajhtl.comMotivationMotivation can be defined as a need or set of needs that is the driving force within individuals,and which pushes them into action or to seek satisfaction of a need or set of needs (Ivanovic,Keyser, & Wakelin-Theron, 2010). Moutinho (2000:49) defines motivation as a state of need,or a condition that exerts a ‘push’ on the individual toward certain types of actions that areseen as likely to bring satisfaction. Travel factors are the internal factors at work withinindividuals – expressed as needs, wants and desires – which lead some people to a placemuch higher in value than others, and influence the type of destinations and touristexperiences chosen.External factorsThe ways in which consumers think, believe and act are largely determined by the externalfactors in society. The needs consumers experience, the alternatives considered, and theways in which they are evaluated, are all affected by external social forces. There is a stronglink between internal (personal) factors previously discussed and the external factors. Thedescription of external factors begins with culture, price, destination marketing, and gender.CultureMoutinho (2000:43) describes culture as values, ideas, attitudes and meaningful symbols, aswell as artifacts elaborated in a society. He further states that these elements are transmittedfrom one generation to another and serve to shape human behaviour. Culture has beendescribed as a “diverse pool of knowledge and shared realities and norms that constitutelearned systems of meaning in a particular society” (Ting-Toomey, 1999:9). Schiffman andKanuk (2004:513) define culture as the sum of total beliefs, values and customs that serve todirect the way consumers behave in a particular society.South Africa has many cultures and subcultures. An example is the 11 official languages inthe country. The different cultures distinguish members of one group from another, and aredynamic because each generation adds something of its own before passing it on. In thewords of McLaren (1998:15) Culture is a human phenomenon and affects the way in whichindividuals respond to others, events, and to the environment; it can therefore be said thatculture affects the way in which a tourist forms an image of a destination.PriceConsumers do not buy products because of the actual value of the products, but because theprice of the product closely matches the perceived value of the product. According to Haarhoff(2007) and George (2008:244), price must accurately reflect the value of the offering. Whenpurchasing tourism offerings, consumers often use price as an indication of quality – whichmeans that price gives them the first indication of how to determine the quality of an offering.With tourism, price information is readily available on the Internet, in newspapers and othermedia – as well as through any travel agency. If the offering is priced too high in relation towhat consumers think it is worth – then consumers will not buy it. If the price is too low,however, the offering may be perceived as being of inferior quality, and, again, consumers willnot buy it.It is crucial that the quality of the offering meets the expectations that the price has generatedin consumer minds. Prices that compare favourably with the reference point are deemed fair,while prices that compare unfavourably are deemed unfair. Perceptions of price fairness inturn will influence consumer satisfaction and behavioural intentions (Campbell, 1999). Price islinked to performance, expectations, perceptions of quality and prestige, satisfying needs, andperceived benefits (Cant et al., 2009:324).5
African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Volume 7 (4) - (2018) ISSN: 2223-814XCopyright: 2018 AJHTL /Author/s- Open Access- Online @ http//: www.ajhtl.comDestination MarketingDestination marketing plays a vital role in communicating offerings of the organisation totourists Jordaan & Prinsloo (2004:5). It plays a role in informing, educating, persuading andreminding tourists about the resort (Du Plessis, Bothma, Jordaan, & Van Heerden, 2005:2).This information directly affects the perception the tourist has of the resort. Some of theinformation is designed by marketers of the resorts, while some comes from different sourceslike opinions of friends, personal experiences, and comparisons with competitors’ advertising(Etzel, Walker & Stanton, 2004).Understanding how consumers acquire information is important for marketing managementdecisions. This is especially true for services, travel and tourism products (Molina et al., 2010).External information sources are used by tourists and form the basis for destination choice.McCartney, Butler and Bennett (2008) results reveal that a communication mix strategy couldbe considered to more effectively manage tourist destination image perceptions. Numerouselements in the marketing communication strategy have been identified by various authorsand researchers. The marketing mix are tools which facilitate image formation – the touristmakes an evaluation and forms a judgment of the destination. In order for this evaluation tobe positive, a marketer’s promotional efforts must be highly coordinated and complementaryin order to have a positive impact on tourists’ destination image.GenderLearning about the interests and activities of potential visitors from a gendered perspective isvital to the planning and marketing of tourism resorts. McGehee, Loker-Murphy, & Uysal et al.(1996) found that male and female tourists placed different importance on some push and pullmotivational factors. Women were more likely to be motivated by culture and opportunities forfamily bonding and prestige, while men placed more importance on sports and adventurewhen engaging in the pleasure travel experience. Collins & Tisdell (2002) in a study of lifecycle patterns of outbound Australian travellers found that there are more women than mentravelling
Destination image is the sum of perceptual beliefs, knowledge, affective feeling, and total impression that a visitor holds about a destination, and it plays a critical role in determining purchase decisions in the destination-choice process, and the attractiveness of a destination (Kotler & Gertner, 2002).
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