Brand, Identity and Reputation: Exploring, Creating New Realities ...

p.31) consumers tend to those sources of information that are consistent with their existing viewpoints. In this sense,
they confirm the theory of selective perception and the view that the most likely effect of communication, including
mass media, are going to reinforce existing opinions, attitudes and behavioral tendencies. When choosing a tourism
destination there is a set of different destination alternatives considered during the decision-making process: evoked set,
excluding, alternative, inaccessible, dreaming and known set of destinations (Decropp, 2006).
For research is the most complex and interesting affective decision-making process because it is holistic in nature (the
decision is made on the basis of expected emotions and visualization of possible experiences, often based on
recommendations). The recommendation is one way of sense-targeting the consumer by visualizing the destination
through their personalities (the identification with a destination).
Although consumers generally are more esteeming the quality of tangible products, we should never neglect the product
brand and lifestyle that is associated with (Gobe, 2008). Thus, two decades ago Sirgy (1982) concluded that consumers
evaluate a product in relation to their personality, whereas the product image shares certain degree of similarity with the
image of the individual. Malhotra (1988) presented the results where consumers are more guided by an ideal which they
have of themselves than the actual situation, to which were later linked Hong and Zinkhan (1995) pointing out that it
was the ideal of self-preference indicator of adopting a certain brand. Also, Daniel Miller (as cited in Erdei, 2008, p.47)
has explained the essence of his concept of objectification on the following simple way: firstly people produce and
classify objects, and then those the same, culturally classified and marked objects (such as those associated with the life
style), produce and classify people who use or refuse them. Shimp and Saeed (as cited in Morgan et al, 2004, p.41)
introduced the term Country equity referring to the emotional value that emerges as a result of consumer's associations
for the brand destinations.
In addition to the many authors who have studied the phenomenon of loyalty, Oppermann (2000) notes that as many
times as tourists visit a certain destination, it was more likely to come back again. Thus, the Denison and Knox (1992)
concluded, in order to save time, the loyalty of tourists is rapidly increasing. This trend reflects the intention of revisit
destination, i.e. the same which has proved its quality in the previous visit.
Methodology
The topic of this research is perception of tourist toward chosen tourism destination, the impact of communication
marketing media and external stimuli that affect the process of selecting holiday destination. The significance of this
research is reflecting in definition of stimuli that influence on tourists on different ways, depending on whether they
first travel to Greece or many times before. Some testing were performed that approved the theory of satisfaction which
says that satisfaction occurs in case when tourist expectations are prevailed by tourist experience, as well as experience
of the highest level of satisfaction leads to revisit and recommendation to the others (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). Our
study involved total 740 participants in Serbia (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis) which were under survey in period July
/August 2009., in the course of their trip to Greece.
The questionnaire has had four parts: The first one, comprised volume of questions related to demographic
characteristics of respondents (place where completed the payment of arrangement, age, and average income). The
second volume of questions comprises such that reflect the image of destinations, or define the tourist‘s experience of
Greece brand. The third volume comprised open questions that more involved the respondents into research and
investigating their intentions and expectations regarding future choice of tourism destination. The last, fourth part is
related to the organization of trips and length of stay.
Assuming Aaker, Kumar and Day (2008) that attitudes announce behaviour and it is easier to ask questions about
attitudes than to observe and interpret the actual behaviour, data collection is used for measuring consumer attitudes,
and scale (shown in Figure 1). The fact is that people do not make decisions on reality (with regard to tourism services
cannot be seen before buying them) but on a personal perception of reality, hypotheses were tested:
H1 If the destination brand is a key factor of choice for the tourist‘s first visit, then experience in the destination is a key
factor for destination loyalty.
H2 The highest level of satisfaction is not necessary for tourists to revisit tourism destination.
Empirical results
Contrary to the opinion presented by Hyde (2000) for tourists to first consider alternative routes, then the itinerary, and
then the attractiveness of the destination and activities, our study gave the following results. The experience of Greece
as the country's natural, historic beauty and friendly atmosphere clearly reflects the opinion of tourists that want to get
in it feel 'at home' This issue is related to the scaling of the five given answers that are listed brand destinations (Figure
1). First pointed out the importance of these two factors are Ritchie and Zins (1978) who presented his research in the
impact of social behavior of the local population on the attractiveness of tourism destinations. When tourists
experienced a hostile atmosphere of the local population, in the same way they experienced and the destination. Further
we can conclude that the natural beauty, although shown as the main driver for the trip, actually make the following
element that fits into the picture type and brand personality to Greece and performances by Serbian tourists have of
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