TOURIST DESTINATION IMAGES OF THE WET TROPICAL RAIN-FORESTS OF NORTH QUEENSLAND

Two hundred and four visitors to the wet tropics of Far North Queensland were surveyed to guage ideal holiday destination images together with actual destination images of this area. A comparison of actual and ideal image attributes revealed a negative divergence of images for attributes such as roads, souvenirs, public transport and climate, with actual images falling short of ideal images. This comparison also revealed some positive divergences, with actual images involving crowding, wildlife and friendliness of local residents exceeding the ideal. Processes associated with these positive divergences are explored by cross-tabulations of actual and ideal images of the friendliness of destination residents. The associations of actual images of friendliness, wildlife and crowding with destination rating and intention to revisit are also examined. A matching process is here revealed which shows high scores on actual images reflected in high scores on ideal images, destination rating and intention to revisit. This process is most noticeable for images of the friendliness of destination residents. The role of this matching process in holiday decision-making is explored, together with practical implications for local communities in tourist destinations.