The image of Malaysia among Chinese tourists: Implications for destination positioning and marketing strategy

Developing and changing images of a tourist destination is a difficult process.Part of the process is to research what tourists identify as the true and strong elements of the destination in question. The central argument is that any destination positioning effort should consider the image tourists have about the destination and their motivation to travel to the said destination.This paper highlights the necessity of understanding the Chinese market in order to properly position Malaysia in the eye of this market. The literature review discussed travel motivation issues and image selection in destination positioning including push and pull factors in travel motivation.Using semi structured in-depth interviews and a self administered survey; data were collected to achieve the objectives of the research.The paper concludes by offering several recommendations on improving the image of Malaysia among Chinese tourists