The Impact of the Destination Image of Greece on Tourists’ Behavioral Intentions

Greece’s image has suffered from inconsistent advertising campaigns which positioned Greece as the ideal destination for summer holidays and heritage tourism. This fragmented image was further distorted as the result of the economic crisis. However, less is known about the current perceptions of foreign tourists regarding the image of Greece. The aim of the present study is twofold: firstly, to assess tourists’ perceptions of the cognitive image of Greece and, secondly, to test the effects of the different cognitive image dimensions on tourists’ revisit and recommendation intentions. Toward that end, a survey was conducted in the city of Athens using a self-administered questionnaire which was delivered to foreign visitors. Results indicate that Greece is perceived as a destination for heritage and leisure tourism. Moreover, the cognitive component of destination image is comprised of four factors, namely, natural/cultural resources, leisure/recreation, tourist infrastructure, and experience/value. Not all cognitive image factors exert influence on tourists’ revisit intentions. More specifically, intentions to revisit Greece are primarily affected by the leisure/entertainment factor followed by experience/value and cultural/natural factors, while intentions to recommend are influenced mainly by the factors of experience/value and cultural/natural resources and to a lesser extent by the leisure/recreation factor. A number of managerial implications are discussed that would enable destination managers to better promote Greece and to entice tourists’ loyalty.