Title: An exploratory study in recognising the role of events in the formation of destination image: the case of Bushehr, Iran

Authors: Manijeh Bahrainizad; Zainab Mehrvarz

Addresses: Faculty of Business and Economics School, Persian Gulf University, 7516913817, Bushehr, Iran ' Business and Economics School, Persian Gulf University, 7516913817, Bushehr, Iran

Abstract: Events are both a factor in the destination's attractiveness and critical marketing elements in promoting places. One way of attracting tourists to a tourism destination is to create a positive destination image. This study aims to identify the role of events in informing the destination image. This study has chosen an experimental research design carried out by qualitative methods - the data obtained through a structured interview by adopting the Delphi techniques in two rounds. Forty people, including five groups from various professional fields, were selected as experts. This study demonstrates the most critical factors influencing positive tourism destinations' image formation into three sets: the characteristics of the destination, advertising and the promotion of the tourism destination, and finally, the tourist experiences. The findings suggest that both the emotional and cognitive images of the destination are equally affected by the event. Given the importance of events in the formation of tourism destination image, findings are beneficial for tourism managers to enhance their understanding of planning an event according to the characteristics of the destination, the experience of tourists and promotional activity. Theoretically, this study expands the current understanding of event tourism and tourism destination marketing.

Keywords: tourism; destination image; event; Delphi; Bushehr; Iran.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHEM.2022.130746

International Journal of Hospitality and Event Management, 2022 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.223 - 246

Received: 22 Oct 2021
Accepted: 03 Aug 2022
Published online: 04 May 2023 *

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