A tourist destination's image is one of the most important strategic tools for creating and sustaining tourist destinations, yet images relating to tourist perceptions of regions and countries have been taken somewhat for granted in tourism marketing. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to image analysis and image management as the key tool for positioning, differentiating and promoting a tourist destination.
Kotler, P. (1994) 'Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control', 8th edn, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs.
3.
Ahmed, Z.U. (1991) 'The Influence of the Components of a State's Tourist Image on Product Positioning Strategy', Tourism Management, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp.331-340.
4.
Echtner, C.M. and Ritchie, B. (1991) 'The Meaning and Measurement of a Destination Image', Journal of Tourism Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 2-12.
5.
Gunn, C.A. (1988) 'Vacationscape: Designing Tourist Regions', Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
6.
Etchner and Ritchie, ref. 4 above.
7.
'World Tourism Organisation, Tourist Images, Madrid: World Tourism Organisation, 1979', C. Cooper, J. Fletcher, D. Gilbert and S. Wanhill (eds) in 'Tourism, Principles and Practice', Longman, Harlow.
Summary of Touristic Information, no. 29 (1996) Departament de Comerç, Con-sum i Turisme, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona.
13.
Echtner, C.M. and Brent Ritchie , J.R. (1993) ' The Measurement of a Destination Image: An Empirical Assessment', Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 3-13; Echtner and Ritchie, ref. 4.
14.
Ashworth, G. and Goodall, G. (1988) 'Tourist Images: Marketing Considerations', in B. Goodall. and G. Ashworth (eds) 'Marketing in the Tourism Industry, the Promotion of Destination Regions', Routledge, London.
15.
Echtner and Ritchie, ref. 13, Etcher and Ritchie, ref. 4.
16.
Ahmed, ref. 3.
17.
Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Saunders, J. and Wong, V. (1996) 'Principles of Marketing', European edition. Prentice Hall, Hemel Hempstead.
18.
British Tourist Authority1994Annual Report (1995) British Tourist Authority, London.
19.
Gronroos, C. (1982) 'Strategic Management and Marketing in the Service Sector', Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration , Helsinki (in US published by Marketing Science Institute, Cam-bridge, MA), in Cooper et al., ref. 4; Kotler, P., Bowen, J. and Makens, J. (1996) 'Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism', Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
20.
Ahmed, ref. 3.
21.
Chon, K.S. (1990) 'The Role of Destination Image in Tourism: a Review and Discussion', The Tourist Review , Vol. 2, pp. 2-9; (1992) ' Self-Image/ Destination Image Congruity', Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 360-363; (1992) 'The Role of Destination Image in Tourism: An Extension' , The Tourist Review, Vol. 1, pp. 2-8.
22.
Ahmed, Z.U. (1991) 'Marketing Your Community: Correcting a Negative Image', The Cornell H.R.A. Quarterly , Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 31-37.
23.
Ibid.
24.
Kotler, Bowen and Makens, ref. 19.
25.
Gilbert, D. (1990) 'Strategic Marketing Planning for National Tourism', The Tourist Review, Vol. 1, pp. 18-27.
26.
Gilbert, ibid.
27.
Cope, J. (1991) 'Rural Destination Marketing — A Sustainable Approach', Eden Tourism, Insights, Vol. 3, pp. C1-C5.
28.
Ahmed, ref. 22.
29.
Stabler, M.J. (1988) 'The Image of Destination Regions: Theoretical and Empirical Aspects', in B. Goodall and G. Ashworth (eds) 'Marketing in the Tourism Industry, the Promotion of Destination Regions ', Routledge, London.
