Resumen de Perceptions of Destination Image: a Study of Latin American Intermediary Travel Buyers

Frederic Dimanche, Marlise Moody

• The primary purpose of this study was to determine Latin American travel intermediaries’ perceptions of New Orleans as a tourism destination. A second purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of a trade show in changing intermediaries’ perceptions and intentions to conduct more business with the destination. Three hundred and sixty randomly selected Latin American intermediary travel buyers who attended a travel show in New Orleans were surveyed by facsimile with a pre/post design. The results suggest that a travel trade show can have positive effects not only on the attendees’ perceptions of the destination, but also on their intentions to conduct business with that destination in the future. Researching travel buyers’ attitudes can help destination marketers identify strengths and weaknesses, position the destination, and better focus their communication strategies with the buyers’ respective markets.