Destination choice

Many of the concepts already discussed in this volume re-appear in Figure 4.7 as contributors to the destination choice process. In particular, the destination images are seen as the result of the destination characteristics, how they are presented and how they are integrated with the social psychological factors such as motives and interests. 

It is time to revisit destination choice research... multi-destination trips represent the choice of a cluster of destinations. On what basis does the traveller compose that cluster Are transportation and access the only considerations or are travellers mentally grouping destinations based on some perceived similarity (all historic sites) or difference (seeking variety) in destination image. (Stewart Vogt, 1997 459)... 

A third issue relates to the kind of decision making. The destination choice models are typically designed for countries or whole regions. A valid question is, do the destination choice models describing a sequence of choice sets apply to decisions within an area (such as choosing an attraction) or do different models apply Similarly, are the decisions made for day trips or short-break holidays made in the same way as for longer vacations or do heuristics and short-cuts apply as has been suggested by Murphy... 

Motives can be seen as providing travellers with expectations for activities and destinations seen as offering activities. .. Existing destination choice models can be both more destination-specific and bring travel motives more clearly into the choice process by including activities as attributes of destinations. (Moscardo et al., 1996 112)... 

Figure 4.8 An activities-mediated destination choice model...

Destination choice What forces are at work when people choose a destination, how destinations are imagined and imaged, how these images are built and how they are acted upon in selecting holiday places Multi-attribute destination schema Cognitive maps and image analysis Attitude theory Choice set models Activity augmented destination choice model... 

The phasing of these two tourist styles depends on the would-be traveller s position in a destination choice process, with the more purposeful and continuing information collection occurring when the choices are becoming more emphatic. Social processes and relationships are heavily implicated in collecting information and guaranteeing its quality. Additionally social dynamics frequently operate to situate the tourist in a travel party where compromise and the promise of mutual fulfilment guide the tourist s choice behaviour. 

Morley, C.L. (1994) Experimental destination choice analysis. Annals of Tourism Research 21 (4), 780-791. 

Schofield, P. (2000) Deciphering day-trip destination choice using a tourist expectation/satisfaction construct. In A. Woodside, G. Crouch, J. Mazanec, M. Oppermann and M. Sakai (eds) Consumer Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure (pp. 269-294). Wallingford CABI. 

Um, S. and Crompton, J.L. (1990) Attitude determinants in tourism destination choice. Annals of Tourism Research 17, 432 48. 

Woodside, A.G. and Lysonski, S. (1989) A general model of traveler destination choice. Journal of Travel Research 2J (4), 8-14. 

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