Segmenting Tourists Based on Traditional Versus Social Media Usage and Destination Image Perception

Abstract

Despite considerable insight into both traditional and social media, the research on these media types is largely mutually exclusive. Consequently, it is largely not known what media tourists use before forming an image of a destination for potential visitation. To provide insight into this phenomena, this study segmented 558 tourists to South Africa based on their media usage and destination image perception. The first segment, experienced South African tourists (39%), did not use media when forming an image of South Africa, but rather focused on their frequent past experience. This segment rated cognitive and behavioral image of South Africa the highest. The second segment, friends and family orientated tourists (21%), utilized personal sources in their destination image formation of South Africa. They also rated the country's image the lowest. The third segment, multiple media usage tourists (40%), employed both traditional and social media in forming their destination image of South Africa. These tourists also rated affective image of the country the highest. While destination marketing organizations (DMOs) need to continue to employ traditional and social media to cater for different consumer learning techniques and different consumer response stages of the largest segment (multiple media usage segments), three fifths of the sample are currently being neglected. Because past experience is incredibly relevant for segment validation and representing destination image of the two smaller segments, the DMO needs to identify through in-depth interviews what South Africa's destination image means to all three segments. This process allows comparisons between the segments to be made. It can identify how these tourists' perception of the country's image has changed with experience and if their perceived image accurately represents what is currently marketed by DMOs.