Tourist destination perception and well-being

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of place perception on tourist well-being to provide an understanding of how destination attributes influence tourists’ response behaviors. Data were collected in a self-administered survey from 631 respondents in three Austrian tourism destinations. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling (Mplus 7.0) were employed to test the hypothesized relationships. Results provide empirical evidence that tourists perceive destination settings holistically and will report higher levels of psychological well-being if a destination provides an adequate combination of sensemaking (i.e. access and amenities) and exploratory attributes (i.e. attractions and activities, entertainment options, and local community). Findings also show that tourists’ well-being has a significant, positive impact on their intention to return and their desire to engage in positive word of mouth about the destination. Most importantly, an indirect-only mediation of well-being on the relationship between both sense-making and exploratory attributes and behavioral outcomes was found. An integrated view of the results can provide important considerations for tourism research and fruitful suggestions for destination management organizations.

Matching Tourism Development Priorities and Policy Measures – An Experimental Method to Reconcile the Key Stakeholders' Views

“…A number of studies identify the dimensions and attributes of destination attractiveness. For example, Reitsamer and Brunner-Sperdin (2017) identify two dimensions of destination attractiveness: sense-making (accessibility, amenities) and exploratory (entertainment, local community). Krešić and Prebežac (2011) identify accommodation and catering, activities in destination, natural features, destination aesthetics, environmental preservation, and destination marketing as part of an index of destination attractiveness.…”

“…However, the very presence of assets, no matter how important they may be, does not necessarily mean that they will yield significant development results if the favourable economic environment is not in place (Servillo et al, 2011). It is generally believed that identifying destination's development priorities involves identifying the assets/attributes that tourists and destination managers consider as important in evaluating the attractiveness of a destination (Reitsamer & Brunner-Sperdin, 2017;Vengesayi et al, 2009). Furthermore, the tourism literature recognizes that different stakeholders influence tourism development in many ways (e.g., via tourism supply, demand, regulation, impacts management, human resources and research; Waligo et al, 2013).…”

Destination competitiveness from a tourist perspective: A case of the United Arab Emirates

“…Cultural resources such as cultural shows and events, local craft, concerts, sports, exhibitions, entertainment, and creative industry are important to tourists because they create unique destination image in the mind of tourists. For example, cultural shows and events are very important for visitors to Austrian Alpine winter destinations (Reitsamer & Brunner‐Sperdin, ). Concerts and local craft workshops are important for tourists visiting Portugal (Kastenholz, Eusebio, Figueiredo, & Lima, ).…”

“…busses, taxis, trains, and limousines) also contributes to destination competitiveness. For example, convenient access to the Austrian Alpine winter destinations, excellent amenities, and high‐quality restaurants positively contribute to tourist satisfaction and visitation (Reitsamer & Brunner‐Sperdin, ). Especially, tourism infrastructure backed by a new technology is a crucial factor, which creates a positive image in the mind of the tourist (Ham, Kim, & Jeong, ).…”

How to Form Wellbeing Perception and Its Outcomes in the Context of Elderly Tourism: Moderating Role of Tour Guide Services

“…In modern society, people consider quality of life (hereafter QOL) in terms of material abundance and mental relaxation. Hence, many scholars have identified the concept of wellbeing perception (hereafter WBP) in diverse fields (e.g., businesses, psychology, and sociology) [3,4]. The concept of WBP is important to senior tourism because older citizens have been shown to want to take trips to meet the needs of their wellbeing [5,6].…”