Destination Image and Travel Intentions for Switzerland

Imagery Diagnosis Model afford decision makers to find the best photos for marketing purposes.

Start & End Date

01/01/2019 - 30/06/2020

Main Applicant

Chen, M.-M., EHL Hospitality Business School

Co-applicant(s)

Zizka, L., EHL Hospitality Business School

External Funding

HES-SO

Destination Image: What drives potential tourists' intention to come to Switzerland?

Project Description

Understanding the emotions of the photo audience or Viewer Affect is essential because marketers want to elicit specific responses with photos. This research investigated Viewer Affect with association strengths and association valences of destination photos and statements and developed the Imagery Diagnosis Model as a new approach to synthesize findings. The Imagery Diagnosis Model recommends leveraging Treasures, developing Hidden Gems, ignoring Traps, and proceeding cautiously with Roadblocks. Our findings suggest that Destination Affect positively influences willingness to visit, recommend, and pay. Destination marketers evoke Destination Affect with text or photos but use text to change Destination Image.

Scientific Output

Chen, M.-M., Zizka, L., Girardin, F., & Zhang, E. R. (2021). Online engagement as a tourism destination marketing tool: An exploratory study of the impact of a COVID-19 lockdown. Tourism Management Perspectives, 38, 100814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100814

Chen, M.-M., Zizka, L., Zhang, E.R., & Gentinetta, J. (2021). Destination Imagery Diagnosis Model: The Case of Switzerland. In: Wörndl W., Koo C., Stienmetz J.L. (Eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2021. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65785-7_36

Chen, M.-M., Zizka, L., Zhang, E., & Gentinetta, J. (2021, January 19-22). Destination Imagery Diagnosis Model: The Case of Switzerland. [Paper presentation]. 28th ENTER Conference, Online.

Chen, M.-M. & Ramon Scovino, I. R. (2020, Juanuary 8-10). Which photo themes evoked higher intention to visit Switzerland. [Paper presentation]. ENTER2020 International eTourism Conference, Guildford, United Kingdom.

Chen, M.-M. (2021, September 27-30). Destination imagery diagnosis model: The case of Switzerland. [Paper presentation]. EuroCHRIE2021, Aalborg, Denmark.

Switzerland Destination Image Report

Which photo better evokes viewers’ memory about Switzerland?

Does this photo evoke positive or negative associations with Switzerland?

Can we develop a method to evaluate and compare photos?

We took on the challenge to (1) find a method to evaluate photos for tourism promotion, and (2) to better understand how potential target markets perceive Switzerland. We tested 65 photos and successfully collected 796 online responses from the UK, France, Italy, and Germany.

Destination Marketing: How to Use Images to Promote a Destination

A picture is worth a thousand potential visitors to a destination! Destination marketing organizations have used photos to inform, persuade and remind tourists. The popularity of selfie culture further reinforces the importance of pictures, as millennials always search for that Kodak moment! Yet, is there a method to select the best images to promote a destination? After one and a half years of research, we have developed the "Imagery Diagnosis Model," which is the answer.

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