Assessment and Role of Images of Tourist Destinations: The Case of North Portugal as a Rural Tourist Destination

Abstract

“Image” may be understood as the way in which the public views products, brands, or companies. In an increasingly competitive business environment a product/brand needs to be recognized and evaluated as appealing before any subsequent purchase and satisfaction can occur. “Image” is hypothesized to impact consumer preference, choice and satisfaction. In fact, image might be more decisive for business success than other “objective” characteristics of an offering (Park et al. 1986). This is particularly true for products which are of high risk, difficult to judge, possess high status value and are of high personal importance to the buyer.