Using destination image to predict visitors' intention to revisit three Hudson River Valley, New York, communities

Product Type: Report, Pages In

Year: 2009

Author(s): Schuster, R.M., L. Sullivan, D. Morais, and D. Kuehn

Pages: 251-256

Suggested Citation: Schuster, R.M., L. Sullivan, D. Morais, and D. Kuehn. 2009. Using destination image to predict visitors' intention to revisit three Hudson River Valley, New York, communities. In: D.B. Klenosky and C. LeBlanc Fisher (eds.). Proceedings of the 2008 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. General Technical Report NRS-P-42. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 251-256 p.

Abstract

This analysis explores the differences in Affective and Cognitive Destination Image among three Hudson River Valley (New York) tourism communities. Multiple regressions were used with six dimensions of visitors' images to predict future intention to revisit. Two of the three regression models were significant. The only significantly contributing independent variable in both models was cultural amenities provided by the communities. The percent of variance accounted for by the entire model and the unique and common variance accounted for by the cultural amenities predictor are limited. Therefore, simply adding more of the same cultural amenities in hopes of increasing visitation may miss the target market and result in expending resources with little return on investment. In light of the destination marketing continuum, these results should be interpreted with caution. The data must be analyzed more thoroughly to identify specific target markets. Other relevant variables (such as experience and place attachment) should be accounted for in the process before making recommendations to the study communities.