Tourist destination image and consumer behaviour : the case of the Azores

Nowadays places seek to become more distinctive in an increasingly competitive market and the image is a decisive element in the selection of a tourist destination. This research aims to understand the overall image of the Azores as a tourist destination from major source markets, and also aims to ascertain the level of satisfaction and future expectations of these markets concerning the region. The literature review addresses the definition of tourist destination image and the issue of satisfaction since these influences the intention to return and / or intention to recommend the tourist destination. The results indicate that: (1) the overall image influence satisfaction and intention to recommend and/or return to the tourist destination; (2) satisfaction influence the intention to recommend and/or return to the tourist destination. We also verified that most of the tourists are very satisfied with the destination in study, as well as a very positive overall image about the Azores.N/