Study Based On Visitors Perceived Tourist Destination Image And Behavioral Intentions Relationship

Since the 1970s, the destination image research has been a hot issue to the business and the academia. The destination image is one of the most important concepts in the destination marketing theory. In order to develop and maintain the long-term relationship between buyers and sellers, we must upgrade many ascepts of the destination image perceived by tourists.The early research on destination image focused on its influence on the tourists' decision-making. With the in-depty study, scholars found that the destination image was a dynamic concept. It changed and was amended in different stages of tourism. So there were some research on the influence of destination image on tourism quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. But little empirical research has been conducted on the level of components of destination image which was made up by cognitive image, affective image and overall image, and its influence on recommendation and revisit intention.For the above reasons, this paper, from the view of tourists, focuses on relationship between the components of destination image and behavioral intentions. Through the literatures review and in-depty interview, a conceptual model was proposed. Then we investigated tourists with the experience of visiting West Lake by a questionnaire survey. On the collected 302 effective questionnaires we used SPSS to carry on the quota date statistical analysis. The empirical results supported most of our hypothesis. The main results were showed as follows:(1) The cognitive image was composed of 6 compotents, namely tourism facilities, managerial behaviour, the natural landscape and cultural landscape, social environment, atmosphere and activities.(2) Among the 6 components of cognitive image, managerial behaviour, the natural landscape and cultural landscape, social environment and activities have significant positive influence on affective image respectively. While the tourism facilities and atmosphere has no influence on affective image.(3) Among the 6 components of cognitive image, tourism facilities, managerial behaviour, the natural landscape and cultural landscape, social environment have significant positive influence on overall image respectively. While the atmosphere and activities have no influence on affective image.(4) The cognitive image has a indirect impact on overall image through effective image. (5) Among the 6 components of cognitive image, tourism facilities, managerial behaviour, the natural landscape and cultural landscape, social environment have significant positive influence on revist intentions respectively. The managerial behaviour, natural landscape and cultural landscape, social environment have significant positive influence on recommendation intentions.(6) The affective image and overall image have significant positive influence on revist and recommendation intentions.(7) Tourists with different characteristics show remarkable differences in their perception of variables in this research.