Title: The sun and beach myth: the impact of pull-based factors and 'things-to-do' on tourists' motivations and place images

Authors: Rosane K. Gertner; João Freire

Addresses: School of Business, Marketing Department, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA ' IPAM, Universidade Europeia, Quinta do Bom Nome, Estr. da Correia 54, 1500-210 Lisboa, Portugal

Abstract: The leisure and tourism literature has suggested that seeking new experiences and/or escaping the routine are among the top motivations for vacations. Hence, 'activities' or 'things-to-do' becomes a relevant attribute to position and differentiate destination brands. Using non-structured in-depth interviews and elicitation techniques, this investigation examines the relevance of the attribute 'activities' or 'things-to-do' in developing place branding strategies, particularly for destinations marketed based on a one-dimensional attribute also adopted by numerous competitive offerings, such as 'sun and beaches'. The results suggest that to enhance the equity of destination brands and entice and please a larger group of potential visitors, tourist authorities must: 1) identify the segments to whom the brand appeals; 2) understand the 'activities' and 'things-to-do' that they value; 3) stress this attribute when building the brand.

Keywords: leisure and tourism; destination branding; place branding; destination images; destination brand dimensions; tourist motivations; push and pull factors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLTM.2019.103547

International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, 2019 Vol.6 No.3/4, pp.194 - 213

Received: 01 Jun 2018
Accepted: 30 Dec 2018

Published online: 11 Nov 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article