Impacto de la experiencia virtual on-line en la formación de la imagen del destino turístico

Resum

The destination image influence in the process and decision and choice of destination by the tourist is crosswise to its intangible nature. Recent studies expand and modify the conventional image constructs by specification information sources transmitted through the Internet. The scenario resulting from the literature review allows us to understand the importance of experience for the tourist activity and the theoretical proposition of virtual tourism as "tourism virtual experience", their determinants and their implications for the formation of the overall destination image. The study involves wide range literature review of the empirical research proposal, whose general objective includes the analysis of the impact of on-line communication and contact with virtual tour on-line experiences and image perception of a destination tourist, and that involves the development of a proposed conceptual model. A preliminary study was designed to select a sample of regional tourism official websites of the responsibility of destination marketing organizations (DMOs), one that features advanced multimedia and interactive features that provides virtual tour experience closer to real. The selected site was experimental element and object of study. Data were obtained through a questionnaire applied to a representative sample of the target study population - potential tourists and Internet users in Portugal - after being induced a stimulus by performing a virtual tour, available on selected website. Later the relationship between the variables of the model was measured and validated using the structural equation modelling. The questionnaire items were organized to respond to the existing conceptual and theoretical problems of virtual tourism and its implication in the virtual destination image formation. The model establishes a relationship between the various dimensions and variables involved within the " on-line virtual tour." The conclusions respond to the objectives initially proposed identifying the influence of the virtual destination image formation, and consequently: the satisfaction of respondents with respect to the website of the environment brought about in particular by interactive tools; level of interest in repeating the experience; and will visit the destination to carry out the tour in time and real space.