FACTORS AFFECTING AN ISLAND’S IMAGE AS PERCEIVED BY TOURISM DEMAND AND SUPPLY

Abstract

The development and competitiveness of a tourism destination is subject to its ability to attract tourists – willing to visit the place - and tour operators – willing to promote the destination. This ability depends on a number of factors affecting the image of the destination. A literature review reveals that most of the studies referring to tourism destinations focus on the factors attracting tourists, i.e. the demand side and very few on the factors attracting the supply side. The objective of this paper is to identify, for the case of island destinations, the common factors i.e. those which affect both demand and supply side and hence determine what we shall be referring to as the destination’s Basic Image and the specific factors i.e. those which affect one of the sides only and hence, together with the Basic Image, determine what we shall be referring to as the destination’s Specific Images as perceived by the two sides respectively.