APPLICATION OF STEREOTYPE CONTENT MODEL TO INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION IMAGE: AN INVESTIGATION OF ANTECEDENTS, CONSEQUENCES AND MODERATORS

Abstract

Since its inception, destination image has been the most popular research construct in the tourism literature due to its influence on destination choice and tourist behavioural intentions. Several researchers have employed different methods to capture tourist destination image and explain its consequences. Recently, the stereotype content model (SCM) emerged as an effective approach to capturing destination image and explaining tourists’ intentions to visit. The SCM offers a valuable framework for assessing destination image in the tourism sector. Although tourism researchers have applied SCM to study destination stereotypes, a thorough literature review reveals only one study applying the model to capture destination image in the context of domestic destinations. No research has applied SCM for studying international destination image, which poses a gap in the literature. Applying SCM to international destinations is important because they differ fundamentally from domestic destinations. In a highly competitive tourism industry, people’s perceptions and mental images of a particular place become just as crucial as the actual, tangible attributes and attractions the destination offers. This study aims to address this gap by applying and extending the SCM to destination image in the context of international destinations to explain tourists’ intentions to visit, identify key antecedents and outcomes of the SCM, and test the causal effect of the most salient antecedents on attitudes towards the destination through the mediating role of the SCM. This research utilised a multi-method quantitative research design consisting of three sequential studies to achieve the research aims. Study One analysed the perception of international destinations regarding the SCM dimensions and tested the moderating effect of perceived self-competence and warmth on the relationship between SCM dimensions and intention to visit. Data were collected from 352 United Kingdom residents intending to travel overseas within the next 12 months through a self-administered online survey hosted and distributed through Prolific. The findings confirm that SCM captures destination image through warmth and competence and extends to international destinations. Additionally, the cluster analysis confirms that these 20 international destinations could be organised into four categories according to the respondents’ evaluations of their warmth and competence. This indicates that the SCM can be used for destination positioning. Finally, this study demonstrates that self-congruency is a moderator, positively influencing visit intention when aligned with destination perceptions. The findings reveal that perceived self-warmth positively moderates the relationship between perceived destination warmth and visit intention. That is, for tourists who perceive themselves at a higher level of warmth, the perceived warmth of a destination has a stronger impact on their intention to visit. Similarly, perceived self-competence positively moderates the relationship between perceived destination competence and visit intention. For tourists who perceive themselves as highly competent, the perceived destination competence plays a more significant role in shaping their intention to visit. Study Two extended the SCM model in the context of international destinations by testing the perceived gross domestic product of the location, the perceived destination’s logo shape, perceived population density, perceived risk, and perceived status of the destination as antecedents and attitude towards the destination as a consequence. Data were collected from 292 respondents using a sampling procedure and data collection instrument similar to that used in Study One. The findings of this study focus on four destinations representing different stereotype clusters. This study revealed perceived population density as the salient and diagnostic antecedent of attitude towards the destination through perceived destination competence. The mediation role of perceived destination warmth was insignificant. Consequently, together, Study One and Study Two draw a correlational picture of perceived destination warmth and perceived destination competence in the context of international destinations. In Study Three, building on Study Two, an experimental design was employed to test the causal relation between the most salient antecedent, perceived population density, and attitude towards the destination through perceived destination competence. The causal design was used to confirm the relationship that emerged from the findings of Study Two. This study also tested the robustness of this effect across different travel settings, such as business and leisure travel. This study collected data from 270 United Kingdom residents interested in travel and intending to travel internationally within the next 12 months. The Study Three findings show that perceived population density significantly affects attitude towards the destination and perceived destination competence, whereas travel purpose shows no significant impact. This insignificance indicates that the perceived population density’s effect is robust across different travel settings. Further, the relationship between perceived population density and attitude towards the destination is mediated by perceived destination competence but not by perceived destination warmth. The results suggest that managing perceived population density could enhance tourist perceptions and attitudes through perceived destination competence. This thesis makes significant theoretical contributions to destination image research by pioneering the application of the SCM to the international destination context. It reveals that the SCM dimensions of warmth and competence effectively capture tourists’ perceptions and significantly influence their intention to visit, filling a notable gap in the literature. The research also extends the theory of self-congruity to the SCM, confirming that tourists’ perceptions of their own warmth and competence moderate the relationship between destination warmth and competence and visit intention. Further, the thesis identifies and assesses five unique antecedents of the SCM in the context of international destinations: perceived risk, perceived destination logo shape, perceived destination status, perceived GDP of the location, and perceived population density. By incorporating these antecedents into an extended SCM model, along with the mediating effects of perceived destination warmth and competence and attitudinal outcomes, this research provides a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing tourists’ perceptions, attitudes and decision-making processes. The experimental study conducted as part of this thesis provides empirical evidence for the underlying processes that drive the effects of these antecedents on tourist attitudes: the mediating role of perceived destination competence in the relationship between perceived population density and attitude towards a destination. From a practical standpoint, this thesis underscores the direct applicability of the SCM as a robust diagnostic tool for destinations. It enables destination marketing organisations to identify their strengths, weaknesses and key competitors and adapt their strategies effectively. The findings offer valuable guidance for destination marketing organisations in developing effective segmentation, risk mitigation and marketing communication strategies. By understanding the moderating effects of self-congruity and the key antecedents of the SCM, marketers can tailor their efforts to align with tourists’ self-perceptions and proactively address factors such as perceived risk, ultimately maximising their impact and enhancing the success of their destination marketing strategies. In sum, this thesis makes significant contributions to destination image literature and holds the potential to revolutionise destination marketing strategies. By applying and extending the SCM to the international destination context, identifying key antecedents and outcomes of the SCM, and providing empirical evidence for the underlying processes that shape tourist attitudes and intentions, this research offers valuable theoretical insights and practical implications for destination managers, marketers and researchers. The findings of this thesis pave the way for further studies in this area, promising a brighter future for the tourism industry.