Tourism

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

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

switzerland-destination-image

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

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