Destination Image on the DMO's Platforms: Official Website and Social Media

Authors

  • Sebastian Molinillo University of Malaga http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9132-5190
  • Francisco Liébana-Cabanillas University of Granada, Department of Marketing and Market Research, 18011 Granada (Spain),
  • Rafael Anaya-Sánchez University of Malaga, Faculty of Economics and Business, Department of Business Management

Keywords:

Destination image, psychological distance, tourism website, social media, DMO.

Abstract

Tourists usually configure and develop ideas about possible destinations based on information previously gathered from both social media and the official web of the destination management organization (DMO). In spite of the relevance of said information sources, there have not been many studies evaluating how these different sources influence the destination image. This research proposes a model intended to explain the image creation process of a destination taking into account both the DMO’s online platforms and the perceived psychological distance. The proposed model is tested with an empirical study including a questionnaire which collects data from 264 participants. The validity of the model is reviewed through PLS analysis. Results show that the psychological distance does not influence the overall destination image. In addition, the overall destination image can be estimated to a larger extent when tourists approach social media as their main source of information. Implications and conclusions are discussed.

Author Biography

  • Sebastian Molinillo, University of Malaga
    PhD,

    Associate Professor of Marketing

    Department of Business Management

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Published

08.01.2024

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Section

Tourism/Hospitality: Research Papers

How to Cite

Destination Image on the DMO’s Platforms: Official Website and Social Media. (2024). Tourism & Management Studies, 13(3), 5-14. https://www.tmstudies.net/index.php/ectms/article/view/969

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