NOVELTY OR THREAT: THE IMPACT OF TOURIST DESTINATION IMAGE DISCREPANCY ON TOURISTS’ TRAVEL INTENTIONS
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Abstract
With the rapid development of global tourism, destination image has become a critical factor influencing tourists’ decision-making. This study, grounded in the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) theory, introduces the concept of “image contrast” to explore the impact of destination image contrast on tourists’ travel intentions and its underlying mechanisms. Findings from two experimental studies reveal that destinations with greater climate image contrast, compared to those with lower climate image contrast, significantly enhance tourists’ travel intentions, with novelty perception serving as a partial mediator. In contrast, destinations with greater cultural image contrast reduce travel intentions, with threat perception acting as a partial mediator. Tourist involvement plays a key moderating role in these relationships. Among high-involvement tourists, climate image contrast more strongly enhances novelty perception, thereby increasing travel intentions. Furthermore, the negative impact of cultural image contrast on threat perception is diminished, also promoting travel intentions. However, these moderating effects are not significant for low-involvement tourists.
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