The Influence of Destination Image and Destination Personality on Tourists ׳Attachment and Satisfaction (Case Study: Domestic Tourists Visiting Isfahan)

Editorial

Author

Instructor, Tourism Faculty, Semnan University

Abstract

Extended Abstract
Building destination emotional attachment is a key tourism marketing issue in today׳s tourism market which has received considerable attention due to increased competition. Based on Brand relationship theory, this study was aimed to investigate the influential factors on tourists׳ destination satisfaction. Although numerous researches have studied tourists׳ destination satisfaction from different perspectives, it should be noted that few of them have investigated the relationship between satisfaction and destination attachment and personality. To this end, the relationships between destination image and destination personality, their influence on tourists׳ attachment to destination as well as the influence of attachment on satisfaction were investigated. Using simple random sampling, 274 questionnaires were distributed among Iranian tourists visiting Isfahan. Based on structural equation modeling, the conceptual model was tested using Lisrel. Structural equation modeling results revealed that destination image is a key determinant of tourist-destination relationship, having positive significant effects on destination personality, destination attachment and destination satisfaction. However, the influence of personality on attachment and satisfaction was not confirmed. Destination attachment׳s influence on satisfaction was also confirmed.
 
Introduction
Most recently, different aspects of branding in customer behavior literature regarding brand credibility, brand image and brand attachment have been well-examined. However, it has largely been ignored in the tourism management literature. As the tourism marketplace is becoming more highly competitive, destination marketers are adopting branding techniques to craft an identity which focuses on the uniqueness of their products, namely destinations. Similar to those marketing consumer products, destination marketers have had to turn to branding to distinguish their destinations to convey a positive message that will motivate tourists to visit them. However, evidence to support the successful implementation of destination branding is mixed. A combination of destination image and destination personality has thus been used as a strategy by destination marketers to differentiate their brands from other competing ones. The creation of brand saliency- the development of an emotional relationship with the consumer- can hold the key to destination differentiation.
Although destination image and destination personality are essential parts of powerful brands, the relationship between the two remains vague. More importantly, more efforts are needed to fill the research gaps in the literature on the links between destination image and destination personality with regard to the tourist-destination relationship (i.e. satisfaction, trust and attachment), which plays a pivotal role in destination branding and the formation of the emotional relationships that can increase customer loyalty.
Due to the key roles satisfaction and attachment have in improving destination competitiveness, conducting research about  influential factors on them will help to fill the existing  theoretical gap as well as guiding destination managers. Reviewing the existing literature shows that the relationship between attachment and satisfaction and more importantly their relationship with destination image and personality hasn’t been adequately studied. Moreover, reviewing Iranian studies represents lack of researches about destination personality and attachment. To clarify the association between destination image and destination personality, address the research gap related to brand relationship in tourism, and investigate the antecedents of destination satisfaction, this study aims to investigate the effects of destination image on destination personality, and their roles in collaborating with destination attachment in building destination satisfaction.
 
Materials and Methods
Iranian tourists visiting Isfahan were targeted in this study. The questionnaire was designed using the items mentioned in Chen & Phou (2013), Veasna et al (20103) and Saeedi & Heidarzadeh (2011) studies.300 questionnaires were distributed among tourists visiting "Imam Square", "Si-o-seh bridge" and "khaju Bridge" as three most visited attractions in Isfahan. The respondents were asked to answer the questions about Isfahan on a five-point  Likert -type scale, ranging from "strongly disagree"(=1) to "strongly agree"(=5).
A pilot test was performed to assess how well the survey instrument captured the constructs it was supposed to measure, and to test the internal consistency and reliability of questionnaire items.
Confirmatory factor analysis and SEM were utilized to analyze the validity and reliability of the constructs and test the conceptual model of destination branding.
 
Discussion and Results
CFA was conducted and the goodness-fo-fit was acceptable. A maximum likelihood estimation method was used to test the predicted relationships among the constructs in the proposed conceptual model. According to the statistical results, the hypothesized model fit the empirical data well and except for the path: personality-satisfaction and personality-attachment, all the hypotheses were supported.
 
Conclusions
The results of the structural relationship analysis revealed that Destination image plays a very important role in building destination brand, and has a direct effect on destination personality. Moreover, destination image has significantly positive effects on tourists attachment to destination and their satisfaction. Destination attachment also has a direct positive effect on destination satisfaction.
 
Keywords: Tourism Destination Marketing, Destination Image, Destination Personality, Destination Satisfaction, Destination Attachment.
 
References

Aaker, J., Susan, F. and Brasel, S.A. (2004). When good brands do bad, Journal of Consumer Research, 31:1-16.
Baloglu, S. (1999). A path analysis model of visitation intention involving information sources, socio-psychological motivations, and destination image, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 8: 81-90.
Beerli, A. and Martin, J.D. (2004). Factors influencing destination images, Annals of Tourism Research, 31: 657-681.
Besser, A. and Shackelford, T.K. (2007). Mediation of the effects of the big five personality dimensions on negative mood and confirmed affective expectations by perceived situational stress: A quasi-field study of vacationers, Personality and Individual Difference, 42: 1333-1346.
Blain, C. Levy, S.E. and Ritchie, J.R. (2005). Destination Branding: Insights and Practices from Destination Management Organizations, Journal of Travel Research, 43: 328-338.
Cai, L.A. (2002).Cooperative branding for rural destination, Annals of Tourism Research, 29(3): 720-742.
Chen, C.F. and Chen, F.S. (2010). Experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions for heritage tourists, Tourism Management, 31: 29-35.
Chen, C.F. and Phou, S. (2013). A closer look at destination: Image, Personality, relationship and Loyalty, Tourism Management, 36: 269-278.
Ekinci, Y. (2003). From destination image to destination branding: An emerging area of research, E-Review of Tourism Research, 1: 21-24.
Ekinci, Y. and Hosany, S. (2006). Destination personality: an application of brand personality to tourism destination, Journal of Travel Research, 45: 127-139.
Esfidani, M. and Mohsenin, S. (2013). Structural Equation Modeling, Tehran:  Ketabe-mehraban. (In Persian)
Fournier, S. (1998). Consumer and their brands: developing relationship theory in consumer research, Journal of Consumer Research, 24: 343-373.
Hanna, S. and Rowely, J. (2008). An analysis of terminology use in place branding, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 4(1): 61-75.
Heidarzadeh, H.K. and Saeedi, H. (2011). A Model of Destination Branding For Isfahan City: Integrating the Concepts of the Branding and Destination Image, Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business, 1(4):12-28.
Hemstrom, O., Luu, J. and Unenge, U. (2006).Attracting Chinese Tourism. How Sweden Can Gain a Larger Share of the Chinese Outbound Tourism, Masters Thesis within marketing, Hogskolan Ijonkoping, Internationella Handelshogskolan.
Holbrook, M.B. and Hirschman, E.C. (1982). The experiential aspect of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings and fun, Journal of Consumer Research, 9: 132-140.
Hsu, C. and Liping, A.C. (2009). Brand knowledge, trust and loyalty: A conceptual model of destination branding, International CHRIE Conference RefereedTrack, [online], http://scholarworks. umass.edu
Pike, S. (2007). International conference on destination cranding and marketing for regional tourism development: 8-10 December 2005, Macau S.A.R China Conference report, Tourism Management, 28(2): 630-631.
Johansson, J. (2007). Working with Events to Build a Destination Brand Identity-the DMO Perspective, Tourism Management thesis, Goteborg University.
Kiani Feizabadi, Z. (2010). Prioritizing Influential Factors on Tourism Destination Branding and Measuring Them in Iran, Master thesis in Tourism management, Allameh Tabataba׳i University. (In Persian)
 Kline, P. (2002). An Easy guide to Factor Analysis, Translated by Sadrossadat, Minayee, Tehran: SAMT. (In Persian)
Kozak, M. and Rimmington, M. (2000).Tourist satisfaction with Mallorca, Spain, as an off-season holiday destination, Journal of Travel Research, 38:260-269.
Lee, J., Graefe, A.R. and Burns, R. (2007). Examining the antecedents of destination loyalty in a forest setting, Leisure Sciences, 29(5): 463-481. 
Lohela, M.L. (2008).Tourism Destination Development in the Context of Brand Personality and Advertising Message: A case study of Swedish Lapland, Ecotourism perspective, Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, Lulea University, Department of Business Administration.
Lukerath, B. (2010). How Brands Become People, A Study on the Impact of Brand Personality on Brand Value, Master thesis in marketing communications management, Copenhagen business school.
Momeni, M., Dashti, M. and Soltanmohammadi, N. (2013). Structural Equation Modeling, Tehran: Moallef. (In Persian)
Momeni, M. (2009). Statistical analysis using SPSS, Tehran: Ketabe No. (In Persian)
Morgan, N. and Pritchard, A. (2010). Meeting the destination branding challenge. In N. Morgan, A. Pritchard, & R. Pride (Eds), and Destination branding: Creating the Unique Destination Proposition (59-77). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Park, H.H. and Jung, G.O. (2010). A study on the impact of the congruence of store personality and self-image toward relationship strength and store loyalty, Journal of Marketing Studies, 16: 45-68.
Pike, S. (2007). Consumer-based brand equity for destinations: Practical DMO performance measures, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 22(1): 51-61.
Pike, S. (2004). Destination brand positioning slogans- towards the development of a set of accountability criteria, Acta Touristica, 16(2):102-124.
Prayag, G. (2007). Exploring the relationship between destination image and brand personality of a tourist destination: an application of projective techniques, Journal of Travel and Tourism Research, Fall: 111-130.
Prayag, G. and Ryan, C. (2011). Antecedents of tourists loyalty to Mauritius: the role and influence of destination image, place attachment, involvement and satisfaction, Journal of Travel Research, 10(5): 51-65.
Roodurmun, J. and Juwaheer, T.D. (2010). Influence of trust on destination loyalty- an empirical analysis- the discussion of the research approach, International Research Symposium in Service Management, 1-23.
Tasci,A.D. and Kozak, M. (2006). Destination brands versus destination images: do we know what we mean?, Journal of Vacation Marketing,12: 299-315.
Usakli, A. and Baloglu, S. (2011). Brand personality of tourist destinations: an application of self-congruity theory, Tourism Management, 32:114 -137.
Veasna, S., Wu, W. and Huang, C. (2013). The impact of destination source credibility on destination satisfaction: the mediating effects of destination attachment and destination image, Tourism Management, 36: 511-526.
Yuksel, A., Yuksel, F. and Bilim, Y. (2010). Destination attachment: Effects on customer satisfaction and cognitive, affective and conative loyalty, Tourism Management, 31(2): 274-284.