Destination image: Origins, Developments and Implications

Abstract

Over the last few decades, tourism has become one of the main sectors of the global eco- nomy, not only because of its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of different coun- tries, but also because of the employment it generates. Since 2009, however, the results of tourism have been severely affected by the economic and financial crisis and it is now essential to analyze the key elements of tourist consumer behavior. In this context, the image that a destination transmits to the market becomes one of the elements which influence tourists the most when choosing a tourist destination. The authors therefore aim to identify the main elements that characterize the image of a tourist destination, as well as their implications for the management of tourist destinations.

Keywords

• tourism management
• marketing
• brand image
• destination image