Destination Image, Emotions, and Intention to Visit: An Application of The Stimulus Organism Response Model

In this study, we utilize the stimulus organism response model from the psychology discipline to examine the relationships between destination image, emotions, and intention to travel to the United States. A structural equation model of data collected from 1,653 individuals from the top five travel markets to the United States (Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom) revealed that emotions partially mediated the relationship between destination image and intention to visit. The strongest relationship between destination image and intention to visit existed through positive emotions rather than negative ones, indicating that destination managers and marketers would be wise to seek to create positive emotions through their marketing and outreach efforts. Furthermore, this research extends tourism theory by expanding the way emotions are measured in relation to destination image – differing from traditional destination image model studies that use cognitive, affective, and conative image