Destination positioning analysis through a comparison of cognitive, affective and conative perceptions

Abstract

There has been exponential growth in the number of studies of destination image appearing in the tourism literature. However, few have addressed the issues of destination positioning analysis and the role of affective perceptions. This paper analyses the market positions held by a competitive set of destinations, through a comparison of cognitive, affective and conative perceptions. Cognition was identified by trialing a factor analytic adaptation of importance-performance analysis. Affect was measured using an affective response grid, while conation was gauged by stated intent to visit. The alignment of the results from these techniques identified leadership positions held by two quite different destinations on two quite different dimensions of destination attractiveness. It is suggested this method of positioning analysis offers a practical means for destination marketers faced with the challenge of identifying the one or few features from their diverse and multi-attributed product range that could be developed by to differentiate their destination in a meaningful way to consumers.