Measuring the Gaps in the Projected Image and Perceived Image of Rural Tourism Destinations in China’s Yangtze River Delta

Sustainability

LawalMohammed Marafa¹  Chung-Shing Chan¹  LewisT. O. Cheung²  Xialei Duan³  Han Xu⁴ 

[1] Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China;Department of Social Sciences, Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Rd, Tai Po, N.T. Hong Kong, China;Faculty of International Tourism Management, City University of Macau, Avenida Padre Tomás Pereira Taipa, Macau, China;School of Geography, University of Leeds, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK;

关键词: destination image;    projected image;    perceived image;    content analysis;    rural tourism;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su12125121

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) at all levels have an ultimate goal of building strong and positive images for their destinations. However, the projected image from the supply side is not necessarily the mirror of the perceived image from the demand side. This study adopted the content analysis method to evaluate the projected image and perceived image of rural destinations in China to see whether there is any discrepancy between and within the two categories. Comparative analysis of different information sources including web contents and on-site visitor interviews were processed. The evaluation of image congruency demonstrates that official websites focus more on cognitive image elements (knowledge and beliefs of the place). Besides promoting attractions, it provides information on geography background and promotes local culture. Business web content promotes attractions, package tour, and activities which can generate revenue. The perceived image includes more sentiment contents: on-site visitors expressed more negative attitude, but social media comments are relatively positive.

【 授权许可】

Unknown