Issue 3 147 of Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Management (GRRTHLM) An Online International Research Journal

Abstract This paper reports the findings of a study on the images of Malaysia and Thailand. The study investigated and compared the perceptions of Japanese youth tourists of the two countries as potential tourism destinations. It reexamined the structure of destination image, and the relationship between the three components of destination image and the intention to visit each country of the potential tourists through a structural equation model. The findings of this study revealed the important role of emotional/affective perceptions in the formation of destination image and intention-to-visit, and generate implications for the projection and communication of the images of Malaysia and Thailand in the Japanese youth tourist market