Internet use, site visits and destination images: implications for sustainable tourism on the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

Destination images can be seen as a link between understanding tourists as consumers and supporting the development of sustainable tourism. The study reported in this paper examined the role of the internet and on-site visits in creating destination images of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The study was based on a telephone survey of more 1100 Australian residents that explored attitudes towards, and knowledge of the environmental status and management of the GBR. Four groups of respondents were identified based on whether or not they had visited the GBR in the previous 12 months and whether or not they used the internet as a source of information about the GBR. These four groups were compared and contrasted on a series of variables exploring their images of the Great Barrier Reef and its management as a major tourist destination. The results were used to demonstrate the value of understanding destination images in general and how managers of destinations might use this image information.