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Sustainable Tourism Destination Image Projection: The Inter-Influences between DMOs and Tourists

Author

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  • Dan Zhu

    (Glorious Sun School of Business & Management, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China)

  • Jiayi Wang

    (Glorious Sun School of Business & Management, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China)

  • Meifang Wang

    (Glorious Sun School of Business & Management, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, China)

Abstract

With the development of the Web 2.0 era, tourists can freely publish their destination experiences through online travel notes. This enables tourists to become important agents to project tourism destination image (TDI), impacting destination-sustainable development. Previous studies have compared the difference in the images projected by destination management organizations (DMO) and tourists through their published content. However, fewer studies have been done to explore the inter-influences between them on the diachronic process of TDI construction. From the perspective of “circle of representation” this question is researched through a case study of Chiang Mai, Thailand, regarding the market of mainland Chinese tourists. Through interviews and the collection of microblogs from the Thailand National Tourism Bureau and tourists’ travel notes from 2009 to 2021, we found that Chiang Mai has experienced four stages of TDI construction, during which the “Xiao Qingxin” image is evolutionally constructed and formed into the representation circle. The inter-influences between DMO and tourists, as well as the influencing factors in this process, are summarized. Our study supplements a dynamic diachronic analysis of TDI from the constructivism perspective. Relevant management and marketing applications for TDI and destination sustainability in the post-pandemic and Web 2.0 era are also provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Dan Zhu & Jiayi Wang & Meifang Wang, 2022. "Sustainable Tourism Destination Image Projection: The Inter-Influences between DMOs and Tourists," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:3073-:d:765379
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Ye Shen & Keri Schwab & Aja Tsutsumi & Katherine Fey, 2025. "A Comparative Study of VR and 2D Tourism Videos: A Thematic Analysis of Virtual Tourism Experiences Among Generation Z," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Yundi Wei & Maowei Chen, 2025. "Tracing the Evolution of Tourist Perception of Destination Image: A Multi-Method Analysis of a Cultural Heritage Tourist Site," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-31, June.

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