THE DESTINATION BRAND PERSONALITY EFFECT ON HOLIDAYMAKERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

OBINNA PATRICK MSC INTERNATIONAL MARKETING 01/04/12

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important product of his effort is his own personality. Erich Fromm The beauty of personality is the fact that it embodies what makes people that co-exist amongst each other in society fascinating. Marketing has incorporated this through communication for years particularly in travel and tourism to attract people to their destinations that best fit the person. A feeling of self-actualization and realisation happens when they feel their personality matches the brand they choose to align with. This dissertation has been produced as the final task of my MSc International Marketing programme at Sheffield Hallam University. I have completed research on the relationship between destination brand personality and UK holidaymakers during the decision making process of tourist holiday destination choice. I have always been fascinated with brands and how they capture the hearts and minds of consumers looking for a way to express themselves through the loyalty they maintain with different organisations. This research allowed to me explore how strong the link was between people and the places they choose to visit and how it ties into how a destination personality if formed from both a corporate and customer perspective. I would like to thank Anne Lidley French as my supervisor for her supportive guidance, structured feedback and for her knowledge on travel behaviour as well as effective dissertation practice. In addition I would like to thank all the other contributors to the research process, such as respondents of my survey that were representative of populations within the United Kingdom. Lastly my utmost gratitude goes out to my family and close friends who strengthened their efforts in the data collection process by recruiting people for my research and who have supported me all the way in my dissertation phase. This dissertation has enabled me to plunge into the scope of what tourism entails and allowed me to explore my interests. I will never look at destination branding in the same
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way again and hopefully this research will provide further advancements to the literature and business practitioners alike in the quest for growth in the travel and tourism industry in 2012 and beyond. Obinna Patrick Sheffield Hallam University 01/04/12

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This dissertation has been written as part of the master course program International Marketing of Sheffield Hallam University. Countries are under pressure to market their destination images persuasively and effectively to compete with the hundreds of countries and emerging economies. The changing landscape tends to reflect the changing attitudes and demands of the travel industry from both a corporate perspective and a customer perspective. Investigations into the behaviour of UK Holidaymakers was undertaken to explore what influences were present during the decision were making process to travel abroad as well as within the country. The methods that were used for this research consisted of secondary/desk research by analysing and reviewing academic journals that examined the themes relating to tourism promotion, destination personality as well as brand personality. In addition to secondary market data forecasting the future of the travel and tourism industry, literature behind the most effective use for questionnaire design was also examined to strengthen the questionnaire survey method. Questionnaires were used to gather data that was representative of specific customer segments in the UK travel and tourism market and not necessarily of the whole population. 80 respondents were sent the questionnaire before the data was analysed. Limitations in the research are provided in the conclusion segment of the dissertation report.

The results from both the questionnaire and secondary data were then analysed to gain a full understanding of the relationship that destination brand personality has with the
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self-conceptual makeup of the people during the decision making process with emphasis on whether or not social media and specific interests play a role in the process.

The results indicate that destination brands are formed from both a customer and corporate perspective, while there are strong associations people make with the places they choose to travel. The personality aspect of this investigation would suggest that people that are adventurous and open to experience, stimulation and partying take a likening to destinations that provide those same advantages. UK holidaymakers are more inclined to choose tourist destinations that allow them to express the charismatic, humorous and extrovert side of their personality.

Recommendations are suggested based on the potential impact and change stakeholders representative of the destination management organisations can make on crafting an effective destination brand as well as providing a platform for holidaymakers to personalize their identities on the Internet that matches holidays they would most likely be interested in taking. Some emphasis is made on Visit Englands responsibility to adapt to these changes. Finally, clarification is made on the limitations on the research particularly on the singular focus on the U.K and appreciation for exploration on how this phenomenon differs culturally.

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Table of Contents
Main Title Page ..................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. ii

Executive Summary .............................................................................................................iii

Contents...............................................................................................................................iv

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1

Literature Review................................................................................................................. 3
Chapter 1: Brand Personality.3 Chapter 2: Destination Personality...9 Chapter 3: Self-Concept Theory in Marketing...15 Chapter 4: Destination Marketing..19

Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 22

Results and Analysis........................................................................................................... 32

Secondary Research: Travel and Market Research Investigation 2011/2012..32 Primary Research: Destination Personality Questionnaire Survey...41

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 57

Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 60

References ......................................................................................................................... 62

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Background
Brands have always had in impact in business research to be profitable for decades because they help distinguish competitors from each other. Fundamentally nation branding has placed a large emphasis on this fact particularly with Anholts Nation Brand Index. Culturally we live in an information age where we as consumers are now knowledgeable about what we are willing to pay for and where would like to visit because of the rise in technology such as the internet and smart phones.

The challenge for destination marketers is to make the destination brand live, so that visitors experience the promoted brand values and feel the authenticity of a unique place. Furthermore, while the branding of goods and services is well documented in the generic marketing literature, the application of branding techniques to places, in particular to tourism destinations, is still in its infancy (Goth, 1998; Pritchard and Morgan, 2002). Destinations appeal to different type of people due to the understanding that most people will not be satisfied with travelling to a party club holiday if they enjoy a quiet relaxed holiday with a lot of culture and sightseeing. It remains questionable whether there are specific attributes about that holiday that build appeal or consumer attributes that force that perceptual opinion of that specific holiday.

Barriers to Entry in the Industry

One of the issues with UK travel and tourism that has plagued the industry is the fact that many people would rather stay in the UK than travel abroad. They may travel to different regions within the United Kingdom but most importantly there are distinct sets of reasons for why they choose to go to where they go. Ultimately, the impact of major international sporting events such as the upcoming 2012 Olympics will continue to propel the brand of the United Kingdom by acting as a gateway for tourists worldwide to

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enter. The growing concern of destination branding in relation to travel and tourism is whether or not they have distinct personalities that influence the kind of people that visit them, and also if this has in impact on how we look at different places. Destination Management Organisations that contribute to the process of building campaigns to attract tourists actively play a role in the formation of the brand in which people from all over the world can identify with. Visit England is the tourist board in the UK with the mission "to grow the value of the domestic tourism market by encouraging people to spend more on tourism throughout the English regions, throughout the year.

The Advantage for Nations

Destination branding has enabled cities and countries to establish distinctive images that consumers across the world make associations with become familiar with. Essentially the problem or issue that this research will attempt to solve is the decision making and behavioural aspects behind destination choice and the link it has with how consumers form brand personality impressions of tourist destinations. The contributions the research will make for the wider management community include the development of future ideas and projects that will be based around the focus of international country branding through personalization and enable the tourist industry players to revise their strategies with the closer emphasis of what consumers are actually experiencing on a year by year basis.

The Dissertation
This dissertation is an investigation of the relationship between the personalities of travel destination where UK Citizens may choose to visit and the impact it has on their behaviour and process when choosing where to visit. The research question is what is the relationship between destination brand personality and the self during the decision making process? Several supporting objectives have been planned in order to generate the key findings from the investigation: DESTINATION PERSONALITY

Explore the brand associations tourists make with destinations that are favourable and unfavourable within the United Kingdom and other nations: Investigate the link between personality and the holiday choices people residing in the UK make: SELF-CONCEPT IN MARKETING: Explore the interests and hobbies of UK holidaymakers and investigate its relationship with destination choice: DESTINATION MARKETING IN TOURISM: Investigate the impact the internet and social media has had on destination preferences and decision making: Explore advertising effectiveness with questions related to preference of advertising medium, publicity and the impact film tourism has on destination choice: Throughout the investigation secondary research and primary research will be undertaken to gain the data necessary to answer the research question and achieve the planned objectives. The structure of the dissertation will follow from this introduction, a full detailed examination and evaluation of the supporting academic literature will be undertaken by discussing themes such as destination brand personality, self-concept in marketing and tourism promotion in efforts to establish research gaps in the literature by effectively fusing all 3 conceptual themes together to form the basis of the project. Methods will be discussed in the research methodology section in regards to how the data will be collected, the results will be analysed and discussed to provide room for a thorough conclusion to the project. Future recommendations for both marketing practitioners and academics are formulated for progression for the literature.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

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INTRODUCTION The following chapter reviews 4 literature areas that form the groundwork for the dissertation project. The 4 areas included are: Brand personality, destination personality, self-concept in marketing and destination marketing. The 4 areas will be reviewed in terms of existing literature and concluded with suggestions for further research. Based on the suggestions, the research methods that will be employed will attempt to fuse a number of those suggestions together.

1:0 - BRAND PERSONALITY

1:1 - Introduction Brand personality has been defined as the set of human characteristics that consumers associate with a brand (Aaker 1997). Other definitions include Brand personality is the set of human personality traits that are both applicable to and relevant for brands (Azoulay & Kapferer, 2003, pp. 151). For example personality traits associated with CocaCola are cool, all-American and real, these traits are relatively enduring (Pendergrast 1993 pp. 3). The way brand personality is commonly explored in consumer research is by asking questions such as: If the brand were to come alive as a person, what it would be like? What would it do? Where would it live? What would it wear? Who would it talk to if it went to a party (and what would it talk about)? Plummer (1984; 2000) argued that brand personality might be crucial in understanding brand choice, due to the fact that consumers have had a tendency to purchase products that reflect their personalities. Examination of the literature behind the brand personality effect st ems from the big five human personality structure developed by Norman (1963). Acclaimed author Jennifer Asker built upon the existing structure to develop a theoretical framework of brand personality dimensions. 1:2 - Functional vs. Symbolic Perspective Throughout the literature there is a focus on the reason for why brands may have personalities that consumers can identify with.
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In the context of branding some brand strategists have distinguished between symbolic and functional brands, i.e. brands that basically satisfy consumers functional or product-related needs and brands bought to enhance self- or social esteem (Subodh Bhat 1998). Brands, therefore, have a personality that users value beyond functional utility (Landon, 1974; de Chernatony and McWilliam, 1989) and consumers will use symbolic devices to explain and express their own particular personality. Through these associations consumers immerse themselves with a brand that they feel they can trust and form a psychological connection with. It has been argued that the symbolic use of brands is possible because consumers imbue brands with human personalities termed animism (Gilmore 1919). Consumer- brand relationships provide a practical or functional meaning to the consumer (Franzen & Bouwman, (1999). Intrinsic and extrinsic cues separate how a brand may be perceived in this case in relation to what is experienced functionally and symbolically. Personality traits come to be associated in an indirect way through product related attributes, product-category associations, brand name, symbol or logo (Batra, Lehman and Singh 1993). Extrinsic cues are product-related but not part of the physical product itself (i.e. they are outside) whereas intrinsic cues typically involve the physical composition of a given product. In this case extrinsic cues serve as indicators of a brands personality and extrinsic cues are determinants of product quality that can easily be associated with brand itself. For example (Wood 2007) states in her investigation of functional and symbolic attributes in brand selection suggests that the importance of functional characteristics should not be overlooked in favour of symbolic considerations, even in mature markets where branding has become a means of differentiation. This suggests that the two facets of brand perception somewhat work with each other in collaboration to deliver the full experience of being in contact with the brand.

1:3 Corporate Brand Personality and Advertising in Personality Formation Prior research (Aaker et al. 2004; Johar et al. 2005) that has examined the update of brand personality impressions have mostly focused on non-social information and has
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not considered the role of employees and how they embody a representation of the brand itself. McCracken (1989) suggested that the traits of people associated with the brand may be transferred directly to the brand itself. The implication in the literature is that consumers form most of their brand impressions through interactions with employees, thus forming what is known as corporate brand personality. Previous literature has suggested that this tends to happen at the point of service encounter giving rise to the personality conceptualization by referring to service personality as the set of human characteristics associated with a service firm(Harris 2005). When an employee does not disclose any pseudo relevant information, customers are likely to stereotype the employee and should regard him or her as a typical representative of the brand (Matta and Folkes 2005 pp. 705). Service employees that express their personality that the brand value represents, customers become loyal and use employees as a point of reference to decide what service to choose.
Kelley and Rich 2006 Journal of Brand Management (2006) 14, 7481. doi:10.1057

Another theme that has been explored in brand personality literature in regards to corporate involvement has been the role of the advertising creative. Within an organisation they transfer a degree of their own personalities into the brand itself. In many areas of their work they feel constrained in their creativity. Their own personalities impact on the job when working in two person creative teams (Blythe
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2006). The brand can be regarded as the lens through which the firms marketing activities are focused (or conversely, the lens through which the consumers view the product and the firm) (Blythe 2007 pp. 208). Personality represents the emotional characteristics of the brand. It is influenced by positioning as well as the core values and culture of the top management (Nandan 2005). Since the interests of higher management and pressure to communicate brand attributes influences how well the task is performed, brand personality is perceived to reflect the reality of the process similarly to how employees are living representations of the brand. Clients will tend to choose agencies that have similar brand personalities to those of the brand being promoted (Blythe 2007 pp. 292). This suggests that there is interplay on a business to business level on how brand personality is formed through partnerships with other companies. Sponsorship and co-branding also explain this phenomenon because of the tendency for organisations to sponsor companies that support a similar cause or event.

This figure above represents the consumer-brand relationship between the product and the consumer. Advertisements affect both sides of the relationship as it becomes a communication channel in which the features, advantages and benefits of the product are communicated. Effectively the personality of the brand is communicated symbolically through associations and representations. An opportunity then arises for adoption of the brand. The two faces of brand personality therefore are input, that is, what advertisers want consumers to think and feel, and out-take, what consumers actually do think and feel (Punyatoya 2011, pp1). Research suggests that brand personality can be created through advertising in a direct as well as in an indirect way. In a direct way, the brand personality is created by transferring the personality of a person used in the ad. In an indirect way, the brand personality is derived from the products meanings. For example, if the benefit of a brand is success, the personality of that brand can be successful and/or confident. For a brand personality to be created in the minds of consumers, it first has to be connected to the advertised product. The brand personality is not received from the ad; the consumer has to create the personality.

1:4 - Gender Dimensions of Brand Personality Research has suggested that masculine and feminine traits are immersed into a brand. Researchers (Levy 1959 pp. 12) argue that brand personality include demographics such as gender. This is a strong theme in the literature because of the tendency for consumers to treat brands as if they were people. Consumers draw on masculine and feminine personality traits associated with a brand to enhance their own degree of masculinity or femininity when they use brands for self-expressive purposes (Fournier 1998; Sirgy 1982 pp. 106). This raises the question to what situations or conditions brands play a central role in allowing people to express themselves and to what degree does that influence the likelihood of brand adoption between male and females. Men would tend to use products that represent brands that are considered masculine such as Gillette and the same way women would use products such as Chanel. By humanizing the brand, brand personality provides opportunities for building strong consumer brand
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relationships. Further, by signalling important attributes in social settings, brand personality can allow brands to be used by consumers in an instrumental manner for facilitating social interactions and building interpersonal relationships. 1:5 - Five Factor Scale and Measurability Returning to Jennifer Aakers contribution to brand personality literature, the theoretical framework that was developed was Aakers Five Factor Measure which comprises of Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness. These factors have been identified as the degree to which a brand can embody a personality, however within the literature it has been debated whether or not it can be measured. The new scale consists of five factors that show an affinity with the Big Five human personality dimensions. Unlike existing scales, this new measure proved to be reliable for betweenbrand between-category comparisons, for between-brand within-category comparisons, and for between-respondent comparisons (Geuens, Weijters , De Wulf 2009). This study draws a counter-argument with (Kapferer, Azoulay 2003) and their criticism of Aakers original scale which also implicates the extent to how much Aakers scale can be expanded to suit different lifestyles in different cultural contexts. 1:6 Conclusion and Future Research Brand personality has been applied in many forms on a product level and has been examined in a wide body of literature, particularly its effects on brand preference and the role it plays during the decision making process from both a symbolic and functional perspective. There is evidence in the literature that suggests that the representatives from the employees of the organisation play a role in shaping the personality of the brand. It can be assumed that through both corporate and consumer involvement, a sense of collaboration develops in efforts to sustain a perception of a brand that can potentially result in profit for a company. Gender dimensions serve to appeal to members of the opposite sex and areas in the theme question the degree to what situations may influence consumers to express themselves through the brands they choose. Future research recommendations include the following:
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Investigation into the implications to the extent to how brand personality is examined or explored across different cultural contexts and situations, whether or not brand personality is perceived as crucially important in countries like China or Japan.

Exploration into the effect of product category on brand personality perceptions is also recommended to see if they differ in how brands are marketed The potential effect of a strong discrepancy between gender dimensions of brand personality and gender perceptions associated with a product category Further research could address whether androgynous brands result in conflicting consumer expectations (e.g., how can a brand be convincingly aggressive and dominant but sensitive and fragile?) and how these contradictions affect consumer responses to such brands.

Investigation of the impact employee-service personality congruence (ESPC) has on new employees also been recommended with ESPC defined as the degree to which the employee is influenced by the organisation .

Increasingly, there have been advancements in the literature to suggest that brand personality has the capability of being applied to different disciplines such as tourism and hospitality giving rise to a new discipline that has been coined destination personality.

2:0 - DESTINATION PERSONALITY

2:1 - Introduction Destination personality is defined as the set of human characteristics associated with a tourist destination and despite its infancy in exploration from an academic standpoint places seek to become distinctive. Destination personality is viewed as a viable metaphor for understanding tourists perceptions of places and for crafting a unique destination identity (Caprara, Barbaranelli, and Guido 2001; Crask and Henry 1990; Morgan, Pritchard, and Piggott 2002, Triplett 1994). Studies have sought to identify brand attributes across common destinations (Walkmsley and Young 1998). In the body of the literature there has been a lot of discrepancy behind the applicability of brand personality to destinations with authors consistently expressing the difficulty associated
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with the task. (Hankinson 2001) argues that creating brands in the way in which they are defined and discussed is difficult and complex process in regard to location. 2:2 - Cognitive and Affective People that represent the brand positioning of a destination can be translated to its rational and emotional benefits. Much empirical research support the premise that destination image consists primarily of two components: cognitive and affective (Crompton, 1979). This raises the question to which personality dimensions are the best predictors of access into the cognitive or affective appeal to tourists. Ekini (2002) proposes that to be effective destination brands need to establish a personality and make links to the tourist self-image and travel motivations. This would suggest that the stakeholders involved in creating the brand of a nation such as the travel agents, hotels, restaurants and holiday representatives have an obligation and responsibility to work together to build a brand necessary to attract tourists. It has been acknowledged that destination image has both cognitive and affective dimensions (Crompton 1979; Dichter 1985). One recurring theme in the literature has been the issue of self-congruence in which people form relationships between brand images and personality in tourism settings but more importantly the idea that the image of a destination influences choices to where to go. In particular, it is suggested that travel is increasingly about experiences, fulfilment, and rejuvenation rather than about places and things (King 2002). 2:3 - The Three Dimensions of Destination Brand Personality In a recent study, Hosany et al. (2006) investigated the relationship between destination brand image and destination brand personality for tourism destinations, and identified three dimensions: (1) Excitement; (2) Sincerity; and (3) Conviviality. Its applicability is still in question however; authors have provided strong academic underpinning that these dimensions can serve as clues to how places can differentiate themselves because different places have different meanings attached to them. Kavaratzis and Ashworth (2005) suggest that places are brandable entities if their characteristics can differentiate them from each other
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2:4 - Stakeholder Responsibility Cross-culturally meanings may be different for different people because destinations appeal to specific types of people and follow a predictable pattern of decline and growth over a period of time. Tourism and the many stakeholders associated are now faced with the growing challenge of building a persuasive and convincing brand to compete with several other popular tourist destinations worldwide. Holiday choices are seen as lifestyle indicators as they define the identities of the traveller, consumers are making lifestyle statements since they are buying not only into an image but also into an emotional relationship Morgan , Pritchard and Pigott (2002). In the case of New Zealand, New Zealand was successfully repositioned as New Pacific by attempting to eliminate the traditional aspects and communicate modernity and excitement to persuade younger segments to visit. 2:5 - Emotional Expression The recurring theme of emotional expression in the literature reinforces the way authors explore the power the lies behind stimulating emotions for the holiday experience. Tourist destinations are rich in terms of experiential attributes, and the potential to evoke an emotional response is even greater (Otto and Ritchie 1996). Future research has suggested that investigation into emotional experiences toward destinations that tourists are afraid to travel to will enable brand strategists to understand what facets to communicate to build brands out of places. The place becomes a backdrop of sharing, a place of intimacy but for personal reasons, imbued with personal memories engraved in the heart and relived through narration (Stokowski, 2002). 2:6 - Corporate Branding Perspective Another theme in the literature explores the notion of destination personality from the corporate perspective because of the strong link to corporate branding. Anholt (2002) first stated that country branding can benefit from understanding it from corporate branding perspective. Destination branding is looked at as a tool for attracting foreign direct investment and improving urbanization, keeping in mind that it is limited to tourist destinations ignoring traits and personality dimensions that are redundant to
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such places. The brand creates the memorable and emotional bond between preferred travel markets and the destination (e.g. Morgan and Pritchard, 2002; Williams et al., 2004). This reinforces the strong link between destinations and people on a cognitive level. 2:7 - Critical Success Factors A problematic issue associated with destination personality and branding as a whole is the fact that there are too many variables to consider when assessing the brand value of a destination. Authors have stressed this difficulty by shedding light on the many factors that consumers perceive to make up the image of a destination. Beerli and Martn (2003) introduced nine dimensions with attributes determining the perceived tourist destination image, such as natural resources, general infrastructure, tourist infrastructure, tourist leisure and recreation, culture, history and art, political and economic factors, natural environment, social environment and the atmosphere of the place. With worldwide competition it is essential for marketers to communicate those dimensions without undermining the expectations of tourist pre-visitation. Studies in this emerging discipline have applied research with the focus on mainly British respondents thus imposing limitations into the applicability to other cultures. In terms of destination branding, Cai (2002) claims that attitudes may be one type of brand association for building destination image. This raises the possibility that on a cognitive level, consumers may decide to travel if they feel that the destination coincides with their own attitudes to how a holiday should be experienced. Santos (2004) found that personality attributes such as contemporary, modern, sophisticated, and traditional represents Portugal in the U.S. travel media. Henderson (2000) posits that the New Asia-Singapore brand is comprised of six personality characteristics: cosmopolitan youthful, vibrant, modern, reliable and comfort. In the body of tourism literature there have not been many studies associated with importance of tourist attractions and how they shape the image of particular destinations. Without tourist attractions there would be no tourism (Gunn 1972:24). This suggests that further examination into the perception tourists have of well-known attractions may provide clues into how much of impact marketing can make to build the image of a destination.
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Witter (1985) cautions, however, tourism marketers and tourists may have different perceptions of those tourist needs and wants. Thus, there is the danger th at what is sought by the tourist is not what is promoted by the marketer (Woodside and Jacobs 1985). 2:8 - Self-Congruity Brands exist to provide a cue for consumers to identify specific attributes and different between different offerings, with the self-image of the consumer playing a central role in the process, a theme in the literature that underpins the decision making process is the issue of self-congruity. Self-congruity refers to the degree of match or mismatch between an individuals perception of a brand or product and the perception they have of themselves (Sirgy 1980). Self-congruity is said to be moderated to whether the individual has visited the destination before or involved in leisure travel. The different types of travellers are explored in depth in the Why Destinations Rise and Fall In Popularity Paper in which Plog (1974) distinguished between travel characteristics of two psychographic types psychocentrics which are travellers prefer familiarity in tourist destination, destinations they can drive to and low activity levels and allocentrics that are travellers that prefer non tourist areas, destinations they can fly to and high in activity level. It can be suggested that with the understanding of the complexities associated with different perceptions of the ideal image brand, exploration into the self is necessary to establish a link between the two. Authors have expressed the fact that it has been a largely unexplored area and not much has been done to prove the validity that it has in the tourism discipline. The authors conclude that further research is needed to better understand the relationship between destination brand personality, self-congruity, and travel behaviour. 2:9: Conclusion and Further Research Destination personality is a relatively new concept in terms of its infancy in academic literature but there is evidence that it is an existing phenomenon as countries worldwide compete for their share of tourism. People will continue to become more
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knowledgeable on the choice and variety of ways a holiday can be experienced and they will also continue to differ in preference. There is a need to explore this phenomenom with evidence in the literature that suggest that destination brands appeal to different consumers emotionally and rationally. Consumers use their holiday choices as lifestyle indicators similar to their purchase decisions based on what the brand represents. The responsibility for hotels, agencies, tourist boards and the hospitality sector to communicate the personality characteristics of a nation is high with the many different reasons consumers may have to decide where to travel.

Future research recommendations include the following: Investigation into whether non-visitors perceptions of destination personality and its effect on post consumption behaviour are different from that of visitors perceptions. Further research has also suggested that other respondents from different cultures must be examined to explore its worldwide applicability. Future research should attempt to further explore how tourists evaluate multiple familiar destinations in terms of their emotional dimensions. Investigation of the direct impact of self-congruence (the degree of matching between destination personality and self-concept) on tourists choice behaviour. Investigating whether the tourist destination branding/brand building process is similar to corporate branding/ brand building process (e.g. Urde, 2003). Future research has suggested that measurements of perception before and after visitation of a destination will provide further insight into the approach travel and tourism market stakeholders need to take into account when marketing a destination

3:0 SELF-CONCEPT THEORY IN MARKETING

Introduction

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Self-concept denotes the totality of the individuals thoughts and feelings having reference to himself as an object (Rosenberg 1979). Self-concept is a psychological theme that closely examines how people see themselves from different angles of perception. Most of its application in marketing literature is related to consumption that ties the individual to symbolic value of the product that is being consumed. Consumers do not consume products for their material utilities but consume the symbolic meaning of those products as portrayed in their images (Elliot 1997). Luxury brands such as Gucci best convey this message because it is more often that the brand name and its representation in the media that is consumed. People feel a sense of prestige and luxury that they feel in themselves. Symbols serve as a cue for deep intrinsic purchase intention because they merely overlook functional utility if the brand represents a part of their lives and self-makeup. Levy (1959) argued that the consumer is not functionality oriented and that behaviour is significantly affected by the symbols encountered in the identification of good in the marketplace The self-concept can be viewed as major driving force in our consumption because it becomes the cue for consumers to determine what kind of people they are while through the things that they purchase. It is understandable that brand personality is heavily linked to the self-concept because personality is the attribute that stays consistent with self-image because attitudes can be changed. Brands create value for customers on two dimensions by serving to signal quality of the underlying offerings and create meaningful associations that add value beyond attributes *Werner felt 1988]. Consumers use brand personality to help define themselves and for others their sense of self (Belk 1988). In reference to Belks paper on possessions and extended self, possessions can also symbolically extend self, as when a uniform or trophy allows us to convince ourselves (and perhaps others) that we can be a different person than we would be without them. 3:1 - Self-Congruence Congruence is another recurring theme in self-concept theory that explains the motivational tension that consumers experience when evaluating their image in line
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with their purchases. Congruity between the actual self-image and the product image has been referred to as self-congruity, between the ideal self-image and product image as ideal congruity, between the social self -image and the product image as social congruity, and between the ideal social self-image and the product image as ideal social congruity (Sirgy 1998). Actual self refers to how a person perceives herself; ideal self refers to how a person would like to perceive herself; and social self refers to how a person presents herself to others. Congruence is seen as the motivational tension that consumers experience when evaluating different brands despite whether it is a low involvement product or high involvement product. Consumers may decide not to buy a product or not to shop at a particular store if they feel that these actions are not consistent with their own perceptions of themselves (Britt, 1960). Styles and fashion trends co-exist around the fact that consumers will purchase products that overall make up the person otherwise consumption decisions would be considered counter-productive. It is a growing challenge for marketers to reinforce their messages in persuasive ways that ensure that they communicate in a way that educates consumers about themselves. Consumers in their brand selections are most likely to have a natural tendency to exhibit behaviour that for the specific situations if they are recalled cognitively and the understanding that other people create these situations. Communicating through consumption choices involves decoding information about others based upon observations of their consumption behaviour (Bahn, Mayer and Belk 1988). This paper examines the nature of adolescents using a qualitative research approach which would suggest that in terms of brand personality, it is developed through other peoples interactions with the brand and is implicitly developed during adolescence. Many other journal articles have been seeking to explore the nature of self-concept in a way that cannot be achieved quantitatively as several authors begin to start breaking into different paradigms unknowingly.

3:2 - Role in Consumption

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The literature mostly explores the interpersonal nature between people in relation to consumption. Conceptualizing such indirect influence as operating through perceived product attributes is potentially misleading (Calder 1977). Consumers use other peop le as cues to evaluate the value of a brand in congruence with the reality they are in. How this understanding has developed over time stems from (Burnkrant & Cousineau 1975) and their rationale behind informational and normative influence behind buyer behaviour. If the individual is motivated to realize a reward or avoid a punishment mediated by another, the individual would be expected to conform to the influence of that other. Brand personality may play a role in establishing a cue for other people to be classically conditioned into having a positive attitude towards a brand. Consumers are concerned with projecting an image that is seen as being desirable to others (Laird 1974). Similarly the similarities that lie in the theme literature are mainly to do with the close evaluations people make about each other to make sense of purchase and what not to purchase in terms of brand selection. Marketers and advertisers tend to capitalize on consumers consciousness of the self by communicating brand attributes that signal that the purchase is necessary to improve your image.

3:3 - Conclusion & Future Research Areas The self-concept theory in marketing has caused academics and business practitioners alike to explore consumer behaviour further, with concepts that suggest that it strongly affects the way people live and the products they buy. It is still in its infancy stage in regards to consumer behaviour research with the need for models and concepts to be generated to advance the discipline forward. Most self-concept studies to date seem to be based on the congruence notion that consumers are motivated to approach those products which match their self-perceptions, but it is not clear on what theory or theories this congruence notion is based. Methodology applied in this discipline mainly involves the use of semantic differential and self-congruence models that involve the use of scales and numbers in efforts to establish a relationship between specific variables. Future research has suggested that an investigation into the nature of the

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underlying need for self-expression through brands may further shed light on the situations that strengthen brand relationships between consumers and their brands.

4:0 - DESTINATION MARKETING IN TOURISM

4:1 - Introduction A stream of literature explores how travellers form a destination image. Gunn (1997; in an update of his 1972 and 1988 work). Destination marketing is the main contributor to the formation of image due to the efforts DMOs make to make their places seem attractive in hopes that tourists will believe the offering. The tourism and hospitality sector has made approaches to innovative methods in order to influence people to travel to tourist destinations. Places are considered intangible considering the fact that they cannot be touched but only experienced with the majority of literature referring to the destination as a tourist product. The intangibility of destinations poses a challenge for destination marketers. The nature of tourism is that the potential visitor lives at a distance from the place where the consumption of the experience will occur. This distance may increase the psychological risk of travel due to the cost of the trip and the lack of the familiarity of the destination (Law 2006). It can be understood that in order to make sense of the product, consumers will need to visit the destination and the use of advertising in tourism has contributed to this process. Graham (1977) states that advertising and tourism literature play integral roles in the public representation of tourist experience which suggests that consumers are guided through the decision making process. Past studies have emphasized on the importance of advertising because it projects an image of a destination that may be perceived in different ways either positive or negative. 4:2 - The Role of DMO Organizations Marketers have struggled to form an alignment with representatives of DMO organizations to enable an image to be promoted that coincides with how they want to see their places in terms of what attractive attributes the place holds. As a commodity,
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the actuality of tourism has been suggested as less important than its expressive representations (Thurolt and Thrurot 1983). Past studies on tourist promotion have examined how consumers use the information that marketers send to re-evaluate their opinion about a place. Consumers effectively engage in an information search to decide where they want to visit with the use of brochures most commonly used. Formal sources of information like brochures and informal sources for example relatives and friends have an influence on image formation on a tourist destination (Beech and Martin 2004, Crompton 1979). Organizations hold themselves accountable for the ways in which their messages are structured in order to create the impressions necessary to attract tourists to place in a competitive environment. Formal models regard the process as an information diffusion process whereby an organization sends consumers advertising messages containing explicit (Goldenberf et al 2001, Stigler 1961) or implicit (Milgram and Roberts 1986) information about itself or its products. Methods that are employed in the body of literature to explore this phenomenon include personal surveys and structured questionnaires that build on the use of consumer opinion to test and prove hypotheses that favour the power of information. Ways in which a destination can be promoted are explored within the literature with opposing viewpoints on what is deemed the best practicality, previous studies have explored the notion of publicity in destination marketing. Belief that publicity is more credible, persuasive or effective than advertising is cited in marketing literature (Gartner 1993, Kotler, Bowen and Makers 1996). In the literature it suggested that publicity allows destinations to received worldwide acclaim through the power of news and PR activity and generally outperforms advertising. Consequently the more exposure a destination has to the public, the more people will be influenced to go. 4:3 - Film Tourism and its Practical Use in Promotion Film tourism studies have shed light on the use of television and film to promote destinations. Film tourism is defined here as tourist visits to a destination or attraction as a result of the destinations being featured on television, video, or the cinema screen. According to Morgan and Pritchard (1998), placing a destination in a film is the ultimate
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in tourism product placement. This reinforces the importance of the touri sm product as a collective package of emotions and experience. Films in tourism marketing literature serve the purpose of enhancing a destination visually and aesthetically to make the destination appear more attractive as a place to visit. Butler (1990) suggests that films can influence the travel preference of those who expose to the destination attributes and create a favourable destination image through their representation. It is not surprising that organizations are most likely to use the power of the motion picture industry to provide travellers with a sense of the place by engaging in the experiences of the characters involved in a film. Viewers come to understand the product experiences portrayed in advertisements by vicarious participation in the experiences of advertisement characters (Boller 1990). Despite the impact film tourism has had, literature has questioned it with some authors disagreeing of the power in television. Studies have confirmed that advertising placed in a more credible medium such as newspaper is perceived as more informative, reliable and believable whereas advertising placed in a less credible medium like TV is considered to be less informative (Bauer and Greyser 1968). This reinforces the appeal that publicity has in sending convincing messages in regard to tourism. Nevertheless, consumers learn more about the place based on the emotional experiences of the people featured in the destination on film. Destination exposure through television can achieve high market penetration, stimulate interest and alter perceptions of destination image (Kim and Richards 2003). 4:4 - Internet and the Impact on Tourism Promotion in the 21st Century Past studies on tourism promotion literature have emphasized how the internet has contributed to the promotion of destinations by providing a platform in which organizations can communicate messages. Information technology and web-based advertising has been used to re-define tourism and deliver products to end consumers (Aaron 2006). Consumers engage in a search for information to reduce the risk associating with choosing a destination and the internet plays an active role in the dissemination of that information, most of the literature argues that the reduction in uncertainty and increase in familiarity make the likelihood of travel more probable.
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Milman and Pizam (1995) found that individuals who lacked awareness of a destination were more likely to visit the place in comparison to those who were aware of the destination but never visited. Within the literature, models would build upon this theory to support the reasons why word of mouth is considered a viable marketing tool to promote places particularly on the internet. Searching and reading others opinions about a product can help a consumer save decision making time and make better decisions (Hennig-Thurau and Walsh 2003). As travellers search for information online and share information with other people, it effectively aids the decision making process. Most of the methods used to explore this are qualitative as authors attempt to capture social phenomenon on the internet. In this case various qualitative data analysis techniques were adopted to develop a travel blog analysing methodology. 4:5 - Advertising Effectiveness Marketers are under scrutiny to make sure that their promotional efforts are cost effective and worthwhile with the awareness that consumers can virtually call on a number of informational sources to dictate where they choose to visit. One theme in the literature that has been increasingly debated concerns the best measures for advertising effectiveness in hopes to seek high returns in investment Past studies have mostly focused on conversion studies particularly the conversion model. Conversion studies provide a simple measure of return on investment (Burke and Gitelson 1990).The model is applied where the major goal is to generate inquiries. The model assumes that the consumers is lead through a series of stages that move him or her closer to visiting the tourist destination as a result of seeing or hearing the advertising. The main goal of conversion studies is to measure the extent to wh ich travellers visit a destination as a result of advertising (Woodside and Dubelaar (2003). Despite its impact to the approach organisations make to advertising places, the idea of conversion has been met with strong critique of its validity and authenticity in advertising literature. Ballman et al states (1984) that most conversion studies naively use the term in a causal rather than a descriptive context. Burke & Gitleson also stated that without question,

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the conversion study approach to the evaluation of tourism promotion has been extensively misused. 4:6 Conclusion and Future Research The ways in which a destination can be marketed, has implications for the future of tourism business particularly because consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about what is available to them. Business decisions on the best practice to market a destination becomes a priority while at the same time it is necessary for travel organisations to assess what will see the best returns on investment after reaching and attracting a target segment. The Internet has impacted how these organisations operate and has implications to the level of personalization that may be necessary to attract the right customers. It can be suggested that in the future, consumers will most likely have tailored communications that meet their specific requirements in terms of what kinds of holidays they enjoy experiencing. In the United Kingdom, Visit England is one of the main organisations responsible for promoting Great Britain to the rest of the world in the same way Visit California is responsible for attracting travellers to the West Coast region of the United States. Future research recommendations include the following: The investigation of the impact publicity has on destination choice. Whether or not publicity positive or negative has an impact on how destination brands perceived. The recent suggestion from the popular (mass) media that films with a negative storyline discourage visitation (such as Austin, 2005; Queenan,). This should be explored to what extent that has an effect on choice. Examination of the effects of social networks on tourism decision making, investigation on how to improve the design and contents of DMO websites to match user expectations. Investigation into the differential impact of iconic and generic advertising for favourable vs. unfavourable destinations.
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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
Introduction
As stated earlier in the dissertation, the issue at hand is the impact that advertising in shaping brand personality during the decision making process for holiday destinations, particularly among civilians that were born and reside in the UK.

Research Questions
Based on what has been explored within the scope of the literature, specifically the primary research question is "what is the relationship between destination personality and the self-image during the decision making process for holiday travel? The research will contribute towards addressing this issue by providing academically driven recommendations. The research will also add new insight and knowledge for future businesses and stakeholders associated with travel and tourism industry to consider when deciding to promote their destinations in order to influence the level of outbound and domestic travel in the United Kingdom. In order for the research to be successful there will be a number of approaches taken towards data collection and analysis; however the research philosophy that will underpin the research is of crucial significance. Essentially the research aims to achieve the following objectives: DESTINATION PERSONALITY Explore the brand associations tourists make with destinations that are favourable and unfavourable within the United Kingdom and other nations: Investigate the link between personality and the holiday choices people residing in the UK make: SELF-CONCEPT IN MARKETING: Explore the interests and hobbies of UK holidaymakers and investigate its relationship with destination choice: DESTINATION MARKETING IN TOURISM:
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Investigate the impact the internet and social media has had on destination preferences and decision making: Explore advertising effectiveness with questions related to preference of advertising medium, publicity and the impact film tourism has on destination choice:

Based on the findings that the literature review has provided and the future research considerations that have been proposed, objectives of the research have been established to reflect the main unexplored areas of the literature in regards to destination branding and destination brand personality. The objectives of the research are the following:

RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY
The research onion developed by (Saunders et al. (2007, p.132) can be referred to, in order to build the methodological framework starting with a clear focus on the outer layer. The epistemology, ontology and research paradigms that underpin the direction for the research will be explored in detail. Blaikie (1993) describes epistemology as the theory or science of the method or grounds of knowledge expanding this into a set of claims or assumptions about the ways in which it is possible to gain knowledge of reality, how what exists may be known, what can be known, and what criteria must be satisfied in order to be described as knowledge. The epistemology that will be adopted to underpin this research and is most appropriate for the research is one that emphasises on intpretivism. The focus of the researcher is on understanding the meanings and interpretations of social actors and to understand their world from their point of view, is highly contextual and hence is not widely generalizable (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007). This is the understanding that underpins interpretivism. In contrast to positivism which is concerned with cause and effect and logical rationality, interpretivism is mostly focused with the

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understanding that people are immersed into the reality that they themselves play a large part in creating. Empiricism defined by (Richardson 1999) is the belief that the truth content of theories concerning the physical world is derived ultimately from observation and that the truth of theoretically deduced propositions should be established empirically. With this philosophy I can understand that there is a separation between the sociological aspects such as the self, the culture that forms the collective programming of the United Kingdom and the impact that holidaymakers have on forming impressions of destinations. The ontological standpoint I will adopt for the research is one that makes use of pragmatism that acknowledges both subjectivism and objectivism with consideration to both counterparts. The reason why I have decided to adopt this is because it shows appreciation for both perspectives of the nature reality while keeping in mind the important determinant of the research philosophy, the research question. Paradigms such as functionalist and interpretive were taken into consideration as they serve as viable paradigms to adopt to a research of this kind as a means of seeking out solutions and understanding meaning. Burrell and Morgan (1979) state its importance by suggesting "all social scientists, implicitly or explicitly, approach their disciplines via assumptions about the nature of the social world and how it should be researched. The paradigm of focus falls between radical structuralism and radical humanist. Respectively I understand that with radical structuralism fundamental change as a result of organizational phenomena needs to be understood to make sense of internal integration and that developing a critical view of organizational life with radical humanist will shed light on the many elements of the self that remain unexplored in terms of what guides their decisions.

RESEARCH APPROACH
The research approach places acknowledgement for both induction and deduction. Deductive arguments are attempts to show that a conclusion necessarily follows from a set of premises or hypothesis. According to Collis and Hussey (2003), deduction is the dominant research approach in the natural sciences, where laws present the basis of
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explanation, allow the anticipation of phenomena, predict their occurrence and therefore permit them to be controlled. Induction is the opposite of deduction which is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates propositions that are abstractions of observations. Each of these two types of type of study is different and internally consistent, so that different understandings will be developed in each it is likely that quantitative and qualitative methods will eventually answer different questions that do not come together to provide a single, well integrated picture of the situation (Patton 1990, p 464; emphases added).

RESEARCH STRATEGY
In line with the focus of the research, specific strategies that will be employed to answer the research question. The survey approach will be adopted through questionnaires that will be designed in order to gain an understanding of the decision making process of holiday travel and the psychological factors that bind them to destinations that appeal to their strong sense of identity. According to Gill and Johnson (1991), experiments and survey methods are associated with a nomothetic (realist) type. Questionnaires will feature open ended and closed ended questions that attempt to draw information about their travel choices, motivations to travel, the kind of personality they possess etc. Tourangeau (1984)s theory of cognitive processes would explain how important questionnaire design is to the process by recalling on the main 4 main phases of the process and the measures that will be taken to ensure maximum data quality: 1) COMPREHENSION OF THE QUESTION: a) Question intent: What does the respondent believe the question to be asking? [Clear and easy to understand questions that elicit open answers, introducing respondents to the questionnaire by explaining what the topic is and what the research is used for] b) Meaning of terms: What do specific words and phrases in the question mean to the respondent? [Rewording questions strategically to spark imagination in the respondent and make the questions easier to comprehend]
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2) RETRIEVAL FROM MEMORY OF RELEVANT INFORMATION: a) Recallability of information: What types of information does the respondent need to recall in order to answer the question? [Holiday experiences embedded in memory, routine behavior that can be easily recalled, advertisements for tourism and hospitality, newspaper articles, decision making behavior abroad and online] b) Recall strategy: what types of strategies are used to retrieve information? For example, does the respondent tend to count events by recalling each one individually, or does he/she use an estimation strategy? [Estimation for number of times travelled, recounting one event or multiple events to retrieve information related to behavior] 3) DECISION PROCESSES: a) Motivation: Does the respondent devote sufficient mental effort to answer the question accurately and thoughtfully? [Questionnaire will be structured in a way that all questions that relate to each other will be grouped together to ensure that respondents can devote sufficient effort to each theme of the survey] b) Sensitivity/Social Desirability: Does the respondent want to tell the truth? Does he/she say something that makes him/her look "better"? [Possibility that questions will be answered in a way that will influence the level of data reliability and believability particularly in the income and job sector section will be minimized by designing the questionnaire in a way that will enable the process to feel more personal to the respondent] 4) RESPONSE PROCESSES: Mapping the response: Can the respondent match his or her internally generated answer to the response categories given by the survey question? [Yes, due to the level of personalization of the survey itself] These 4 factors must be taken into account when constructing an effective questionnaire designed to elicit responses that reflect the enquiries made in the review of the literature. More importantly an ethnographic approach will be adopted by

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involving people in the research process because the reality exists in their minds in relation to the objectives that the research will aim to meet. Other methods were considered for this study such as grounded theory which attempts to fuse induction and deduction together. Special consideration was taken for grounded theory as Parthriage, Amaratunga and Haigh (2008) explain that for many researchers working within the inductive tradition, explanations of social phenomena are relatively worthless unless they are grounded in observation and experience. Archival research has the potential to address the research objectives by exploring the timeline and problems that have been associated with travel and tourism in regards to places that are considered universally undesirable as well as the cultural transition and development that has incurred in terms of our perceptual standpoint on what constitutes as viable holiday destination.

MULTIPLE METHOD CHOICES

In terms of the choices that will be made to make the research process possible, the process will mainly involve some degree of a mixed method approach. This is because the central focus of the research mainly involves a huge emphasis on "brand personality", considering the facts and options available to me as a researcher, a questionnaire will be distributed among a specifically determined population and secondary research through industry analysis will be approached.

TIME HORIZON
In regards to the time perspective of the research, questionnaire will be distributed and analyzed in respects to the current time period reinforcing the cross-sectional perspective. The time availability is too short to express how the timeline has had a cultural shift and change in attitude to tourism and implications it has had on stakeholders in the industry. Due to the fact that destination brand personality and its importance has a somewhat of a direct effect on the motivation behind travelling to particular destinations than other, is the reason why snapshots are required to provide an indication of the possible answers to the research objectives at hand
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TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES

In reference to the research onion that lays at the foundation of the research, at the core lays the techniques and procedures that will guide the process SECONDARY DATA Market Industry Reports Secondary data collection will be approached specifically from gathering travel and tourism industry reports and press releases. Online sources will make up the majority of the sources used in the process. The reason why secondary data will be collected is because it already exists and it is easily accessible. Disadvantages associated with using this approach include the possibility of the information altered to the behest of the researchers of the companies that have been involved with supplying that data. Believability will be an issue that will be taken into consideration when accessing these sources of information. Secondary data sources that will be accessed in the process of the research include Keynote, GMID Passport, Mintel and DataMonitor. The reason that secondary research will be approached in this way is because through the detailed analysis of industry reports that provide detailed information on the future of the industry. It will enable me to correlate findings with the survey and establish a distinct relationship between the survey and the analysis. The main findings will be extracted from industry reports and supporting commentary will be provided to emphasize the impact it has on how brands may be formed from competing countries that are in pursuit of tourists. Advantages of Market Data The use of travel and tourism industry reports will enable me to see the future of travel and tourism in terms of the most visited holidays that influence the rate of outbound travel and the factors that cause Britons to stay in the country. Analyzing and utilizing this information will most importantly enable me to structure the questionnaire so that it will be easier to complete when it comes time to conduct primary research. PRIMARY DATA
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In terms of receiving primary data only one will be applied to receive this form of information is a structured questionnaire. Snowballing Previously it was proposed that a questionnaire will be distributed; how this will be done will mostly involve an internet based questionnaire that will be distributed using a snowballing technique because of the difficulty of obtaining a large enough sample that is representative of the global population. Effectively, the internet provides an extensive platform to reach virtually anyone Snowball sampling can be placed within a wider set of link-tracing methodologies (Spreen, 1992) which seek to take advantage of the social networks of identified respondents to provide a researcher with an ever-expanding set of potential contacts (Thomson, 1997. The questionnaire will be designed to focus in on the necessary theoretical pillars that were identified in the literature review and provide a defined focus for data collection. Most of the questions that will be designed will reflect what was suggested as future research suggestions. The results desired from administering this survey will be analyzed using coding and thematic analysis to construct a firm framework for future destination marketers to use and reinforce or reject what the literature review had implied. Using this technique will allow me to establish relationships between the answers of the questions used to collate and assess a degree to how much one variable affects the other. The questions will be structured in the same way the literature review is to reflect the main theoretical pillars. Message boards, online forums and Facebook have been considered as the baseline for reaching these people by utilizing the advertising platform. The questionnaire or a link to the page the questionnaire is located can be advertised via Facebook with the potential of reaching over 800 million people worldwide as advertised on their website. Costs associated with this method include budgeting and reach costs which will be covered. The results will then be analyzed through coding and thematic analysis to identify common themes that are re-occurring during the process of data collection. Respondents will be instructed to recall the last tourism destination they had visited
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outside and within the United Kingdom in the previous 3 months from a choice of several well-known and visited destinations among Britons. Other questions will multiple choice questions include personality attributes in which respondents will asked to check the option or attribute that bests describes themselves as a means of assessing their psychological makeup. Issues with Snowballing Validity and reliability are the main concerns regarding the effectiveness of this technique because respondents may interpret these questions differently. The response rate may place a difficulty in the process with the possibility of some of the respondents becoming unwilling to either participate or send it back for collation and analysis. To reduce these concerns the questionnaire will not be long in length, not time costly for the individuals to fill in and more importantly easy to understand to avoid restlessness and receiving unreliable answers. Pilot tests will be conducted to ensure that the structured questionnaire will be a success when it is time to be implemented.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Due to the nature of the approach the research has been based on, ethical considerations have been taken to ensure that the research can be successful without sacrificing the integrity and morality of the process. The respondents that will be taking part in the structured questionnaire will not have their identity revealed. As privacy will be a concern for a majority of the respondents, they will remain anonymous. Questions that explore the demographic framework of the research will be included such as what is your annual salary? and what job sector do you work in? Due to the sensitivity of these questions there is a necessity for a clear description to be provided at the beginning of the survey to inform those that wish to participate in it, what the research is for and how the answers will contribute to quality of the process. The respect for anonymity will remain as well providing respondents with the opportunity for them to withdraw themselves from taking part if they wish to do so. Honesty with the respondents will be top priority critically informing them about what

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the questionnaire is for in terms of the purpose and the objectives but more so what the results from the questionnaire used for. Ethical considerations that were made included the confidentiality of the information that will be supplied from the respondents, at some point I knew there would be issues associated with where that information is going in terms of academic uses and potential uses for data for future businesses. It should be made clear that there will be no immoral or unlawful uses for the information supplied by the respondents. The reason why this issue has been considered is because due to the nature in which the questionnaire will be designed, there will be questions associated background, attitudes to change, management and so on. It can be understood that questions that relate to such variables carry a high weighting from respondent perspective.

CONTIGENCY PLAN
If there are a shortage of respondents and results coming through during the process of the online distribution, contingencies that have been considered include fieldwork to physically go out on the street and distribute these surveys to people passing by. The other contingency would be to pay for a third party service to actively distribute these surveys on my behalf.

CONCLUSION
The main research question represents the main focus of the dissertation project while the supporting aims represent the research question and how it will be answered. Each of 3 conceptual themes will be explored using both research techniques. The market research and analysis will be undertaken during the first 2 months of the 5 month dissertation process while the remaining 3 months will be dedicated to obtaining data from the questionnaire survey. The research philosophy and consideration for other approaches presents a challenge for the project because it information to make the process a success is highly dependent on the input of the people that will answer the questionnaire. It should be acknowledged at this point that 40% of the bulk of the data required will be from the market research and 60% will derive from the survey in order to conclude with concrete results and creative recommendations.
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CHAPTER 4: RESULTS & ANALYSIS Secondary Research: Travel and Market Research Investigation 2011/2012
Introduction
This chapter details the results and the analysis of an extensive secondary research process that involved collecting market data from sources such as Keynote and Passport GMID. The market data that was collected mainly involved sources that were from 2011 and 2012 to forecast the future of the industry. The key findings that were generated from each report were then analysed in terms of how the destination brand personality of a destination may be impacted and the contributions they make to the industry as a whole.

1:1 - TRAVEL AND TOURISM MARKET ANALYSIS 2011 [27/06/11]

KEY FINDINGS DOMESTIC TOURISM 1. The most visited region in the United Kingdom is the South-West with the segment being AB1 Male and Female, more affluent travel customers. The second most visited region is the South-East with London particularly experiencing an increase in visitors. 2. Staycation is a vacation within the country, which will mostly involve a weekend away or a city break. Staycation is viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury in

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light of the economic recession because it is becoming increasingly expensive to travel outside the United Kingdom. 3. The impact of major sporting events on the increase in volume of tourism such as the 2012 Olympic games. 4. Car is the dominant mode of transport for domestic travel. 5. Price is one of the important factors that influence decision making in holidaymakers. OUTBOUND TOURISM 1. Outbound tourism volume falls by more than 1% in 2010 to just under 56 million trips, while outbound tourist expenditure grows 8% to around 34 billion 2. Unemployment has had a direct effect on the level of outbound travel 3. Eurozone has been heavily avoided due to the weakening of the pound [ 4. Spain and France are the top travel destinations among UK citizens. 5. Outgoing leisure was the main purpose of expenditure for outbound tourists in 2010, accounting for 86% of total expenditure 6. Main demographic segment for UK holiday makers for outbound tourism is 35 64 Male AB SOURCE: EUROMONITOR TRAVEL AND TOURISM IN THE UNITED KINGDOM JUNE 2011

TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY GLOBAL OVERVIEW February 2012

KEY FINDINGS

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Source: Passport GMID Travel and Tourism Global Industry Overview February 2012

2012 not looking good for Europe. Amid growing uncertainty about the future of the Eurozone in 2012, travel and tourism in Western Europe remains depressed, with high unemployment and continued austerity measures reducing intra-regional travel and spending.

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Emerging nations are still leading the way. The emerging nations, particularly China, are boosting global trips, as their strong economies enable a growing number of consumers to travel. Regional destinations are popular, with Chinese travellers staying closest to home.

Source: Passport GMID Travel and Tourism Global Industry Overview February 2012

Surge in arrivals and spending for US. The recent Executive Order by President Obama to boost travel and tourism is predicted to continue a recent surge seen in arrivals and spending in the US. Changes to visa procedures have been crucial in attracting more visitors.

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Social Local Mobile- With the growth of mobile devices, Social Local Mobile (SoLoMo) is tipped to have a big impact on travel. Mobile applications determine a consumer's location and then push information relevant to the destination and prior needs.

Source: Passport GMID Travel and Tourism Global Industry Overview February 2012

Mid-priced and extended stay hotels performing well. Across the globe, mid-range hotels are thriving as consumers continue to look for economies, with extended stay outlets showing resilience with business travellers.

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Source: Passport GMID Travel and Tourism Global Industry Overview February 2012

Evolving technologies changing travel retail. The rise in online bookings and the growth of social media in the travel industry has shifted power to the consumer, as well as boosting the profile of technology companies within the booking process.

1:2 - ANALYSIS
The Growing Importance of Staycation Visits The South of England particularly the West is rich in beaches and quiet relaxation destinations in which travellers visit for a break. Many consumers in the UK are now growing appreciatively of the benefits and cost-savings associated with travelling to different parts of the country as opposed to travelling abroad. Travellers are spending more when they choose to go on holiday but the rate of outbound tourism has fallen considerably. The main length of stay is more than 7 days. The fluctuating exchange rates have had a massive impact on the purchasing power abroad for UK citizens. Main reason for their popularities is due to the proximity in distance. This suggests that primarily people have been travelling as a means of self-enjoyment through shopping, relaxation and nightclubbing, whether Spain and France are seen places for outgoing is
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in question. Combined with the recession, travellers have had to budget extensively to make thorough purchase decisions regarding travel thus influencing the rising trend in staycation. The Power of the Internet With the shift in power to consumers, more strategic decision making will be applied to holiday travel with efforts made through social networking and blogging to influence the impressions people form of places. Technology will be able to ensure that consumers are well informed and knowledgeable about the many different places they can visit on holiday and will influence the travel industry to tailor information persuasively to give rise to new ways of experiencing a holiday. Destinations that were not considered to have any tourist element will be most likely have the opportunity to boost the positive unique selling points that will enable them to compete with the rest of the world. The effect of the recession may have on how brands are perceived could potentially be negative considering the fact that purchasing power has been reduced for consumers. Most places that were considered luxurious and prestigious will communicate a highly different impression because of the need for countries to compete for tourists in these difficult times. The Responsibility for Hotels and DMO Organizations

Hotel accommodation is seen as one of the key determinants of customer satisfaction during a holiday experience, due to the impact of the recession consumers have had to trade down to afford to stay longer, particularly with business travelers that require a lengthy stay to fulfill business obligations and major operational directives. The degree to whether or not hotels form a long lasting impression of the quality of a tourist destination is still questionable, however in order to increase outbound and inbound travel from citizens and tourists alike, the service usually serves a reflection of the people representing the hotel the country is based in.

The 21st Century and the Impact of Technology

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The rise in technology and the impact the internet has had on the travel and tourism industry will continue to dominate in 2012 because of the growing need for personalization. Tourist travellers can be segmented like any market based on critical success factors so it seems necessary that a degree of tailored communication is crucial to influencing the right people to visit the country with the brand personality that best fits and describes them. This has many implications on businesses and DMOs because it will now effect what purchases are made abroad and enable consumers to be smarter about where they decide to go on holiday and while experiencing a holiday destination. Travel agencies will most likely have to make a stronger effort to prove their value when selling packaged holidays to consumers.

Disaster Events and Publicity

Competition to the worldwide supply of tourists has now been deemed important by government officials that influence the level of marketing effort DMOs attribute to tourism promotion. U.S. is one of the most visited countries in the world with several major tourist destinations. Major catastrophic events such as 9/11 that have had an impact on the destination brand itself have enforced security restrictions on VISAs and the amount of people that are permitted entry into the United States.

The Rising Power and Popularity of Asias Emerging Economies

China is considered one of the world superpowers and main economic capitals of the globe, business travellers still need to visit China in order to assist major business decisions and operations. China is seen as a place that is heavily influenced by Western Culture but still projects a personality that is favoured by those that seek cultural variety during its shift in development. The New-Asia Singapore brand personality highly reflects China and it can be suggested that this influences the appeal that region has.

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1:3 - EMERGING OUTBOUND MARKETS: LOOKING AHEAD IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: FEBRUARY 2012
KEY FINDINGS

Source: PASSPORT GMID EMERGING OUTBOUND MARKETS: LOOKING AHEAD IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: FEBRUARY 2012 for the long term, but Inflation and unemployment will remain high in the Eurozone

emerging economies have some strong growth factors working in their favour urbanisation, employment and income generation. The rising prices and the unemployment to make things worse, economies that are emerging as a result of inbound tourism expenditures will have a profound impact on changing popularity of well-known destinations in Europe such as Spain and France. The Euro currency in turmoil has had a significant impact on the spending power of most consumers that travel in and out of the zone particularly on what can be mostly offered in spite of this

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Source: PASSPORT GMID EMERGING OUTBOUND MARKETS: LOOKING AHEAD IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: FEBRUARY 2012

economic trouble. Most of all Japans inflation remains the lowest significantly reflecting the power that the Asian zone has and will continue to grow.

Emerging might - By 2015, emerging markets are expected to reach a 43% share of global departures, over 400 million, driven by economic growth and industry developments such as increased online travel and low-cost carrier penetration. The increased online travel will represent the phenomenon of emerging market success due to the rising ownership of smartphones such as IPhone and Blackberry as well as the increasing online broadband penetration. It will become easier to make travel decisions as people will make them on the go while low-cost carrier service such as EasyJet and Ryanair capitalise on that demand. Competition for 43% of the global departures will be among these countries and it can be suggested that a change in the destination image may be required to influence specific segments to continue repeat visitation driving their economies to further growth.

Source: PASSPORT GMID EMERGING OUTBOUND MARKETS: LOOKING AHEAD IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: FEBRUARY 2012

BRIC appeal - BRICs Brazil, Russia, India and China - offer long-term appeal as source markets. Open skies agreements, mergers and acquisitions, new product development
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and customisation are all helping to build outgoing expenditure. Russia reduces Asia selfdependency. Asian destinations rely predominantly on intra-Asian demand with Singapore and China being important source markets. Russia is a fast growing source market for Asia, thanks to trade and increased airlift.

Source: PASSPORT GMID EMERGING OUTBOUND MARKETS: LOOKING AHEAD IN UNCERTAIN TIMES: FEBRUARY 2012

Rapid expansion - Air transport, hotel and online travel are expected to see continued high levels of investment and growth in Asia, at the heart of the strong performance by emerging markets. Expedia is considered among the most popular travel agencies online to book travels and seek out discounted prices. The impact it will make on trade for Russia will provide further travel opportunities for tourists travelling around Asia. The faltering global economy may derail growth levels in emerging markets, with countries
44

like China experiencing reduced firepower to tackle the crisis. Oversupply in air capacity and hotels may arise as demand weakens. The challenge will be to ensure growth is managed in a sustainable way.

2:0:

Primary Research: Destination

Personality Questionnaire Survey

INTRODUCTION
57 Respondents both male and female took part in the questionnaire survey that examined holiday behaviour and attitudes to specific holiday destinations. Using a snowball technique I distributed the survey using Facebook and Email with a request to assist with the distribution. Below are the results of the survey then after will follow in an in depth analysis in connection to what the literature suggested should be explored.

RESULTS 1. Which of the following factors influences your decision making the most when choosing where to travel?

Other

Desire for New Experience

Family

Friends

Price 0 5 10 15 20 25

45

Most of the respondents that answered question one stated that the desire of a new experience was one of the primary motivations for choosing where to travel. This suggests that most tourists that travel have an underlying need to experience different cultures and way of life as a way of expressing their tastes and opinions. Images and destination brand impressions are formed through promotional activity and media to encourage people to want to visit these destinations experience what that brand has to offer.

2. Rank in order the following destinations you tend to visit the most outside the UK?
12 10 8 6 4 2 0

When respondents were asked to rank the destinations they visit the most from least visited the most visited, the top 3 destinations most visited were India, Tokyo and Brazil. This discovery ties in with the recent reports of forecasted tourism demand for those emerging markets and reflects. Culturally the 3 destinations differ but the results suggest that UK tourists are actively seeking a variety of different experiences rather than being limited to Europe. Strangely enough the 3 least visited places happened to be France, Spain and Italy which lie in close proximity to the UK which also suggest that in spite of the economic crisis, UK tourists are prefer to visit places that allow them to spend more.

46

3. What is your favourite holiday destination?

Tunisia Sweden Russia France UK - Devon and Cornwall Egypt Spain Baleric Islands Scotland Ibiza Ayia Napa Italy Mexico Greece Portugal Iceland Tenerife United States 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

4. If this destination was a real person, how would you describe it?, using 5 key words (for example, England was portrayed as being conservative, pleasant, refined, civilised, eccentric and down to earth in the UK tourism media)
America -America -U.S -Tenerife -Iceland. -New York City -Portugal -Greece Mexico -Italy -Virginia, USA -Exciting. Forward. Warm. Cheaper. Fun. -Exciting. Forward. Warm. Cheaper. Fun. -massive, greedy, overwhelming, expensive, great -friendly, enjoyable, cultural, caring, extravagant -Astounding, beautiful, isolated, relaxed, friendly. -busy, eccentric, loud, extreme and cutting-edge -Hot, beautiful, eventful, expensive, nightlife -Friendly, hot climate, beautiful, expensive (food) pleasant! -exciting, hot, mesmerising, tranquil -Nice Weather , shopping, Historical places Beaches.

47

-New York -US -Ayia Napa -New York -Ibiza -USA -Scotland -Greece -Balearic ISLANDS -Italy -SPAIN -Egypt -Spain

-pleasant, relaxed, calm. interesting and unassuming -exciting open diverse entrepreneurial engaging -Pleasant, exciting, -Crazy Exciting Young Rebellious Electric -Fun, diverse, free, friendly -full of life, enthusiastic, beautiful, laid back, pleasant -Pleasant -nature, real, tartan, passion, honest -something for all -Fun -friendly, warm, colourful, vibrant, and beautiful -Calming and Uncomplicated. -mysterious, historical, beautiful, hot, friendly

When respondents were asked to describe their respective favourite destinations as if it they were people using 5 key words the 5 most common words that kept on reoccurring were beautiful, exciting, friendly, fun and cultural. The respondents had positive associations to make with their holiday destinations naturally but the findings suggest that people tend to describe places as they would describe themselves. The findings also suggest that destinations that aim to generate appeal and desire for inbound tourism seek to appeal to British citizens will aim to promote those same personality characteristics. The United States was described as exciting, forward, full of life, passionate and patriotic. When respondents were asked to state how their preferred favourite holiday destination, there was a little ambiguity behind the answers because they did not know whether to name a country or city. Strikingly enough, the United States became among the most favourite for UK citizens perhaps because of the image that the country represents and how culturally similar the place is to the UK. Among most favourite European destinations Spain and Italy were once again most common in the findings that confirm recent market research findings about Europe.

5. Rank each of these factors on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the most important, 10 being the least important, when deciding to evaluate a holiday experience?

48

Rank each of these factors on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the most important, 10 being the least important, when deciding to evaluate a holiday experience
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Leisure Business 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

When respondents were asked to name the factor that is most important when evaluating a holiday destination, camping and shopping activity were discovered to be the most important with social atmosphere and culture being surprisingly the least being important. People want to experience that mobility when they travel abroad as well as the economic purchasing power for a stronger experience abroad with price being a key motivation in travel.

6. What is your main reason for travel within the United Kingdom?

Within the United Kingdom, most of the travel motivations are primarily for leisure as respondents reported back. This would suggest that regionally different places have a lot

49

to offer. The results also suggest that different places within the United Kingdom do not appeal to business minded people like other metropolitan cities in the country.

7. How many times per year do you travel within the United Kingdom?

How many times per year do you travel within the United Kingdom?
30+ 24 - 27 18 - 21 12 - 15 69 0-3 0 5 10 15 20 How many times per year do you travel within the United Kingdom?

When respondents were asked to state how many times a year they travel within the United Kingdom, most of the respondents stated they travelled between 0 3 times a year suggesting that when people do travel, they make their trips special by taking city breaks for extended periods.

8. How would you describe your personality? Rank the degree to which the following dimensions apply to (1. Unlike me - 5. Highly like me).

50

Open to experience (like trying new things) 0%

Confident 4% Nervous 19%

Cautious 4%

Selfdisciplined 2%

Careless 21% Secure 4% Sensitive 2% Selfish 27% Extrovert (someone social and energetic) Introvert 3% (reserved Compassionate and mild- (someone kind and giving) mannere 0% d) 14%

When respondents were asked to rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 5 on the personality dimensions that were considered and applied by a number of different authors in branding literature, on average most of the respondents were neither on one extreme in terms of how accurately the personality dimension described them. There is evidence in the findings to suggest that there is a strong link between their individual personality characteristics and destinations of choice that were described using those 5 key words. When respondents were asked if films and television programs influence where you choose to travel, surprisingly there was little influence on travel based on the responses. These findings suggest that there are stronger influences in modern times to persuade people to travel to places.

9. What information source do you usually seek when searching where to go on holiday?

51

Other Journal Article Newspaper Internet Radio Television Brochure 0 10 20 30 40 50

Respondents chose the Internet and Journal as the most sought out sources when making travel decisions which confirm elements of the literature review and also suggest that the Internet is the future for travel planning. Due to the amount of information available in the internet as well as the barrage of promotional material, consumers are learning how to filter it out faster. When respondents were asked to state to what degree publicity influence travel to preferred a tourist destination, most respondents stated that there was some influence which suggests that publicity does have an effect on a way a country is perceived in the media. These findings also suggest that depending on how good or bad the publicity is, the amount of travel is either increased or reduced particularly if it compromises with peoples values and personality.

10. Do travel agencies influence where and how you choose to travel outside the U.K?

52

Unsure

No

Yes

10

15

20

25

30

11. Does blogging influence the impression you form of a tourist destination?

No

Yes

10

15

20

25

30

35

Respondents stated that travel agencies themselves and blogging on the internet has no influence on tourist brand impressions which suggest that there is a long-term loyalty that consumers maintain with their favourite tourist destinations. The lack of influence is most likely to do with the fact that bloggers have different opinions about certain places to go and that travel agencies are not entirely active in promotion of different places.

53

12. Do you feel that there are distinct cultural differences and way of life between regions within the United Kingdom? (i.e Yorkshire, South West, London, North West)

Unsure

No

Yes

10

20

30

40

50

Most of the respondents stated Yes to whether or not they considered that there was distinct cultural differences which would explain why different regional areas in the U.K may have different brand impressions attached to them based on how they promoted by tourist board organizations

13. What genre of film do you prefer to watch the most?

Other Documentary Action Crime Romance Comedy Thriller Drama Horror 0 5 10 15 20

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13. Do films and television programs influence where you choose to travel outside and within the United Kingdom? (e.g Geordie Shore: Newcastle, The Only Way Is Essex: Essex, Made in Chelsea: London)

No

Yes

10

15

20

25

30

35

Comedy and Action were the most preferred film genres which suggest that people do not pay attention to the setting of the film while watching an entertaining film in the same way Action would generally stimulate attention without any of it being paid to the environment the film is set in. Despite the variety in film choices, it was reported from the response that T.V and film have no direct effect on travel destination choice.

14. Based on your last holiday experience, what influenced you the most to go there?

Based on your last holiday experience, what influenced you the most to go there?
Relaxation Adventure Nightlife Event Cost New Experience Family 0 2 4 6 8 Based on your last holiday experience, what influenced you the most to go there?

55

The majority of the most of the respondents motivations when they previously went on holiday were mostly to do with the influence of family and the desire for new experience which coincide with the findings that were generated from question 1.

12) To what extent does publicity in the media influence your decision to travel to the tourist destination? (e.g London Riots, 9/11)

Unsure

High Influence

Some Influence

No Influence

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

When respondents were asked whether or not publicity positive or negative influences their decision to travel to a preferred tourist destination, the majority reported some influence while 10 reported no influence. This would suggest that publicity is powerful tool in generating enquiries from travellers. It can be suggested that the news may be a powerful media source that dictates where people go. Natural disaster events may deter someone from going there and create a negative perception of the place of choice.

56

South Africa U.K North Korea Asia Somalia Iceland Iran Canada Australia China Germany U.S Russia Siberia Turkey Mongolia Antartica Iraq Afgahanistan India 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

When respondents were asked were they would least like to visit and why most places that were considered Iraq and Afghanistan were mostly named due to the war and terrorism as well as Iceland because of the climate. The findings suggest that safer and warmer climates generally have strong positive brand associations.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Female

Series1

Male

10

20

30

40

57

Training/Instruction Security/Protective Services Sales/Business Development R&D/Science Quality Assurance/Safety Project/Program Management Production/Operations Medical/Health Marketing/Product Legal, Logistics/Transportation IT/Software Development Installation/Maintenance/Repair Human Resources Food Services/Hospitality Engineering Editorial/Writing Customer Support/Client Care, Creative/Design Business/Strategic Management, Building Construction/Skilled Trades Administrative/Clerical, Accounting/Finance, Student Education Self-Employed Unemployed 0 5 10 15 20

Series1

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION
Now that the research questions have been answered throughout the report and results have been analysed, conclusions can be drawn from the research findings and recommendations can be formulated based on this. This chapter will emphasize the main outcomes, and in addition answer the main research question;

What is the relationship between destination personality and the self-image during the decision making process for holiday travel?

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To conclude, destination brands are formed from both a customer and corporate perspective, while there are strong associations people make with the places they choose to travel. The personality aspect of this investigation would suggest that people that are adventurous and open to experience, stimulation and partying take a likening to destinations that provide those same advantages. The relationship between destination personality and the self-image during the decision making process for holiday travel is strong because it dictates where tourists would feel comfortable going while the Internet plays a pivotal role in assisting with the process. UK Holidaymakers are mostly concerned with holidays that offer value for money in terms of activities that involve shopping and the mobility to make their holidays more memorable. In light of the recessionary climate, the willingness to travel is impacted and reflects the future performance of emerging tourist destinations.

The emphasis on price and cost of travel mainly impacts how countries are perceived during the process because of the reduction in the variety of places that can be visited to accommodate the level of disposable income. UK holidaymakers are more inclined to choose tourist destinations that allow them to express the charismatic, humorous and extrovert side of their personality. Within the United Kingdom, destination brand personality exists with the cultural differences that separate each region and it becomes more important when the majority make plans for city breaks that have nothing to do with business.

Destination brand personality in this case enables UK holidaymakers to make faster and easier decisions based on past travel history in a way that evokes past memories of excitement. The cultural differences that separate each region serve as representatives of a way of life that may not connect well with particular segments or groups of people in the U.K

The sub research questions have been answered according to the information analysed from the research findings. The conclusions drawn from the research questions based on the online research are formulated below,

59

DESTINATION PERSONALITY Explore the brand associations tourists make with destinations that are favourable and unfavourable within the United Kingdom and other nations: Hosany et al. (2006) investigated the relationship between destination brand image and destination brand personality for tourism destinations, and identified three dimensions: (1) Excitement; (2) Sincerity; and (3) Conviviality. Its applicability has been proved with the associations that respondents made with their favourite holiday destinations. Most places that they considered to be lively were described as exciting on several instances. Hosany's theory has been approved on the bases that different places can differentiate themselves because different places have different meanings attached to them. Kavaratzis and Ashworth (2005) suggest that places are brandable entities if their characteristics can differentiate them from each other. The characteristics that differentiate different nations are explored from the secondary research with the unique characteristics that define emerging economies such as China and other nations in Asia that will grow in popularity in forthcoming years. In addition from the evidence from secondary research, the results from the questionnaire suggest that different regions within the United Kingdom have brandable entities with the majority respondents agreeing on the fact that different regions have cultural elements that differ from each other. Investigate the link between personality and the holiday choices people residing in the UK make: The different types of travellers that are explored in depth in the Why Destinations Rise and Fall In Popularity Paper in which Plog (1974) distinguis between travel characteristics of two psychographic types psychocentrics which are travellers prefer familiarity in tourist destination, destinations they can drive to and low activity levels and allocentrics that are travellers that prefer non tourist areas, destinations they can fly to and high in activity level. From the primary research it was discovered that people who were more open to

60

experience and scored higher on extrovert personality characteristics were more inclined to choose holidays that had that same level of energy. Similarly with the notion that people that were more introvert and cautious on the personality scale were more inclined to choose holidays that had cultural and relaxation appeal such as Rome and Balearic Islands. Plog's theory can be approved in this case and while different CCF's characterize how corporate organizations promote their tourist destinations, in the future it could be a new research approach to investigate the many different packages that could be created to offer the most satisfying experience for the many different types of holidaymakers.

SELF-CONCEPT IN MARKETING: Explore the interests and hobbies of UK holidaymakers and investigate its relationship with destination choice: Referencing the literature review it is understood consumers utilize brand personality in order for them define themselves with their product choices. (Belk 1988) made statements that our possessions form our extended self that is impaired in any instance that we lose our possessions or break them. The evidence from the primary research suggests that there is no direct link between specific needs such as culture and camping and its relationship with destination choice.

DESTINATION MARKETING IN TOURISM: Investigate the impact the internet and social media has had on destination preferences and decision making: Past studies on tourism promotion literature have emphasized how the internet has contributed to the promotion of destinations by providing a platform in which organizations can communicate messages. (Aaron 2006) stated that
61

Information technology and web-based advertising has been used to re-define tourism and deliver products to end consumers. The results from the secondary research suggest that there will be an increasing shift in power to consumers; more strategic decision making will be applied to holiday travel with efforts made through social networking and blogging to influence the impressions people form of places. Aaron's theory is valid in this case because technology is able to ensure that consumers are well informed and knowledgeable about the many different places they can visit on holiday and will influence the travel industry to tailor information persuasively to give rise to new ways of experiencing a holiday. The results from the questionnaire survey suggest that this is currently happening due to the fact that the majority of the respondents of the survey stated that the information source most actively sought when planning a holiday is the Internet. In regards to blogging specifically the results from the primary research that blogging does not influence how destination brand personality impressions are formed which goes against from the results from the secondary research. It can be assumed that there may need to be advancements made for websites such as Blogger that enable representatives and trusted opinion leaders to actively communicate with other customers and tourists in a way that enhances the image of a destination. Explore advertising effectiveness with questions related to preference of advertising medium, publicity and the impact film tourism has on destination choice: In the literature it was reported that conversion studies provide a simple measure of return on investment (Burke and Gitelson 1990) where it assumes that the consumers is lead through a series of stages that move him or her closer to visiting the tourist destination as a result of seeing or hearing the advertising. Consumers engage in a search for information to reduce the risk associating with choosing a destination and the internet plays an active role in the dissemination of that information, most of the literature argues that the reduction in uncertainty and increase in familiarity make the likelihood of travel more probable. Burke and Gitelson are accurate in their investigations due to the fact that most respondents prefer the Internet to receive communications relating to
62

holidays. UK Holidaymakers reduce the risk uncertainty by viewing images and information online. The results from the survey that indicated that travel agencies themselves have no impact on holiday choice further confirm this theory.

In regards to films in tourism marketing literature, they have been hypothesized to serve the purpose of enhancing a destination visually and aesthetically to make the destination appear more attractive as a place to visit. Butler (1990) suggested that films can influence the travel preference of those who expose to the destination attributes and create a favourable destination image through their representation. In terms of film tourism T.V and film have no direct effect on travel destination choice, despite their effect and the way authors express its potential in the literature. Most of the respondents stated that specific TV shows have no effect whatsoever.

TV shows and film in general could make stronger efforts to portray their nations in a more positive light in order to encourage people to make that psychological association between the content and experience of the place in general. Belief that publicity is more credible, persuasive or effective than advertising is cited often in marketing literature by (Gartner 1993, Kotler and Bowen and Makers 1996). In the literature it suggested that publicity allows destinations to received worldwide acclaim through the power of news and PR activity and generally outperforms advertising. From the analysis of the primary research this theory can be agreed upon due because to a certain extent publicity in the media influences UK holidaymaker decision to visit specific tourist destinations and avoid other ones. The secondary research reported that U.S. is one of the most visited countries in the world with several major tourist destinations. Major catastrophic events such as 9/11 that have had an impact on the destination brand itself have enforced security restrictions on VISAs.

CHAPTER 6: RECCOMENDATIONS
63

INTRODUCTION
The following chapter details recommendations for future business practitioners and academics alike to consider making further advancements to the destination brand personality literature and the travel and tourism industry. The main factors that were generated from the conclusion include the following:

The strong link between personality and the holiday choices for UK holidaymakers The impact of the Internet on the travel and tourism industry in the 21 st century The growing popularity of shopping abroad amongst UK holidaymakers The role of DMO organizations to establish a stronger relationship between the U.K and other emerging economies such as China. The effect publicity has on destination choice and the perception of a travel destination Recommendations have been generated in order facilitate the growth in the travel industry because of the impact tourism has on the economy and GDP in general. The number of people travelling to the U.K spending money will be beneficial for business just as much as the number of people travelling to other countries that will continue to grow in popularity.

RECCOMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE BUSINESS

Travel agency businesses like Thomas Cook that provide room for consumer personalization and communication with other tourists:

Similar to the Tesco Clubcard and a way of providing personalization and alerts that are relevant to user specification, travel agencies should construct new additional services that enable UK holidaymakers. If holidaymakers were able to construct a profile that filters out potential holiday packages or deals that work alongside personality specifications or interests. Customers would be able to

64

register as members of a community to provide room for the flexibility to network, socialise and effectively plan holidays with newly made friends online.

For example: if customers detailed preferences, interests, hobbies and specific aspects of their personal construct it would allow companies to target and segment more effectively to match holidays that fit them. Partnerships with Apple could be made to turn such services into mobile phone applications to allow travellers abroad and all around the world to communicate with each other, send pictures, socialise and receive information relevant to wherever they visit such as restaurants, shopping deals, clubbing events and tours. Investments between 100,000 and 300,000 would make these business ventures possible for commercialization between 2013 2015. Many of the operations that would make this possible include web design, peer-to-peer server applications and cloud storage.

Tourist board organisations that encourage native representatives to promote their nations for them: In the United Kingdom, the official tourist board organisation that promotes the nation to the world. They mostly recruit national representatives to help with the promotion with their Englands Biggest Fan. It is not known how many representatives but the same strategy should be applied consistently with other businesses that aim to influence inbound tourism.

Similarly it would be in the best interests for other countries to do the same. Visit England as the official DMO should take more responsibility in promoting the critical success factors of different regions in the UK to potentially consider events management with fairs and promotional campaigns that communicate the unique diversity in the differences between all the regions in the country. This could be done through sponsorships and events management. The 2012 Olympics in London is a clear example of how events can maximise the exposure of the United Kingdom to the world. Viral marketing efforts through YouTube and

65

Twitter can be made to strengthen the relationship between consumers and the culture of the U.K.

RECCOMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

For future research there are a few recommendations that researchers and other academics alike should take into account in hopes of advancing the literature even further despite its infancy. The research project mainly focused on people in the U.K and despite that being the focus of the investigation, it may benefit further research to examine the difference in destination brand perception with other people from different cultures such as Spain and Italy that remain the most visited European destinations among those for the U.K. The cultural applicability will further shed light to what factors and barriers exist when different people around the world perceive other countries. From the demographics of the results of the research, the majority of people that responded were students. It may be beneficial in the future to investigate the degree to which higher management representatives of DMO organizations influence the creation of tourist destination brand. Interviews with top-level managers may be necessary to gain insight into operations, decision making and conflicts that arise during marketing campaigns between ad agency creative and their clients. More research needs to be done on how positive publicity can increase the level of travel; because of the effect it has in encouraging people to visit different places. This could be accomplished through mostly primary research involving focus groups and experiments that involve the supplement of news articles and news footage to investigate whether or not destination brand perceptions are altered as a result of the exposure. In regards to critical success factors, future research could explore how different tourist attractions and landmarks appeal to different people or the brand associations that other people make with the U.K.

Other future research suggestions may include the exploration of how destination brands were formed through archival research to see the degree to which it has changed over time. Researching throughout history and exploring
66

instances when countries had engaged in high-profile campaigns to encourage people to visit will provide clues into what elements in the literature need the most focus on. The study that was conducted for this project was not longitudinal but a snapshot in a moment in time; more specifically it is mostly concerned with what is happening in 2012 and the future landscape for the discipline and business in general.
Lastly, future research should take into account the existing 3 destination brand personality dimensions, Excitement, Sincerity and Conviviality and investigate the

extent to which the 3 dimensions apply to less popular tourist destinations and if the many ways tourist board organizations can capitalise on these dimensions to promote their countries more effectively.

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