Promoting Egypt through its National Stereotype: The Role of Stereotype in Evaluating the Components of Destination Image

Abstract

National stereotype could play a crucial role in evaluating tourist destinations. Through the stereotype content model (SCM), the study tried to understand how stereotypes influence destination image components and identify the most influenced one when using such type. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods in examining national stereotype and its effect on the three components of destination image evaluation. Results revealed that there are significant relationships between the two dimensions of Egypt's stereotype (warmth and competence) and its image's three components (cognitive, affective and conative). The results showed that the affective component has the most significant impact on the evaluation process unlike the cognitive and conative components. Using the warmth and competence traits when promoting strong and attractive affective image, is one of the practical implications of the study recommended for marketing managers.

Is warmth more critical than competence? Understanding how destination gender affects destination identification and destination advocacy

“…First, one of the issues that developing country tourism marketers encounter is negative stereotypes, which impair the image of destinations. Admittedly, every destination has both positive and negative stereotypes that impact tourists' judgments and travel decisions (Hefny, 2020; Li et al , 2023). An example of this might be Egypt, as a study context, which is the most popular travel destination among all MENA countries (Hamdy et al , 2023) but is also notorious for its tourist harassment and political instability.…”