Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

piecemeal hypothesis and an undifferentiated strategy for a given destination it would be
sufficient to emphasize on the attributes which are common to similar countries. In contrast,
under the category-based assumption the destination marketing organization would rather
follow the schemas underlying the relevant destination category. This category seems to be
less distorted by a given travel purpose and more dependent on the geographic distance and
nationality. More relevant however appear to be two other main strategies: differentiation and
niche. While the marketing plans would not differ essentially compared to the undifferentiated
strategy (putting some or relatively strong emphasis on one or several attributes) under the
category-based processing assumption it would have to entail a differentiation on many if not
all aspects to induce the consumer to develop a sub-type. This recommendation is neither
obvious nor apparent from competitive positioning maps commonly generated in marketing
research. Yet, the consequences for developing an appropriate destination marketing strategy
are quite different considering a priori completely different information processes on the
consumer side.
What lessons could be learnt from a methodological point of view? The replication of the
proxy prototype instrument for destination image measurement was successful in general. The
non-response problem was slightly better (average across destinations: 39%) compared to the
students’ sample of Tapachai and Waryszak’s study (2000; 45%). Considering, though, the a
priori selection of only destination novice students the non-response phenomenon in the
current study among travellers without prior visits to the various destinations was exactly the
same. Nevertheless, from comments respondents wrote into the questionnaire it became
evident that many respondents refused any response due to a lack of sufficient knowledge.
This cognitive boundary is difficult to break through where appropriate. Relatively openended,
unaided answers are cognitively more effortful to elaborate and to reveal (orally or in
written). Aided answer formats – often in the form of attribute lists – ease the job however
may introduce biases between long-term, stable cognitions versus those which are constructed
ad hoc.
The experiences of the content analysis and the consecutive coding steps into more abstract
benefit categories which fit into the proposed five consumption value dimensions gave
additional insights into the critical role of the researcher. The split into the functional,
emotional, social, epistemic and conditional dimensions is in many instances artificial and
cuts the rich, contextual and schema-based information delivered by respondents into pieces.
Valuable nuances get lost which are against any comprehensive and more complex
conceptualizations of destination (or brand) images. Measurement instruments slicing the
image concept into lists of attributes where cognitive, affective and maybe conative aspects
are treated separately rather move away from a valid mapping effort.
In this respect, the current attempt has probably also limitations and avenues for further
improvements and refinements. The question of which destinations are competing which each
other: only destinations within a limited geographic distance or only destinations with exactly
the same tourism products? should be addressed by applying different research methods.
Further evidence should be elaborated on how destinations are represented in the consumers’
minds and compared which each other. Repertory grid techniques are among meaningful
options. And, of course, in order to deliver more relevant results for marketing purposes, a
study into competitive relationships among destinations would have to be extended to the
most important generating markets for a specific destination