Tourism Management 32 (2011) 193194

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Tourism Management
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tourman

Research Note

On the destination image of Korea by Russian tourists

Jeong Gil Choi a, *, Tamara Tkachenko a, Shomir Sil b
a b

Department of Hotel Management, Kyung Hee University, 1 Hoegi-Dong, Dongdaemun-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea Department of Finance and Economics, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, Indiana

a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history: Received 11 November 2009 Accepted 1 December 2009 Keywords: Korea Destination image Perception Loyalty Russian

a b s t r a c t
This study investigates the importance of destination image as a determinant for the choice of a tourist destination. The inbound market examined is Korea while perceptions are captured from current and prospective Russian tourists. Empirical results show that a difference exists between visitors and non-visitors in terms of their perceived image of Korea. The study also nds that the relationship between overall image and loyalty to a destination is statistically signicant. Regression results show in particular that Russians with a positive view of Korea are more likely to recommend Korea to others as a tourist destination. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction In recent years, Japan and China have been the main focus of Koreas tourism marketing. Major inroads have also been made into other countries in the East Asian region. However, Russia is not among the countries targeted even though it is one of the fastest growing economies in the region. Moreover, the Korean National Tourism Organization (KNTO) reports that Russia was the seventh biggest inbound market for Koreas tourism in 2007 although this segment fell by almost three percent in 2008. Gaining a better understanding of the Russian market and an in-depth knowledge of the views of Russian travelers should not only help increase the number of Russian tourists, but also help to improve the quality of their travel experience in Korea. To this end, this study compares the perceptions of Russians who have already visited Korea (visitor) to other Russians who have yet to choose Korea as a travel destination (non-visitor). It nds, in particular, that Russians with a positive view of Korea are more likely to recommend Korea to others as a tourist destination. Findings such as this should encourage Korean tourism professionals to develop the type of marketing strategies that accentuate the positive image of the country. 2. Literature Tourism studies over the past two decades show that destination image is a valuable concept in understanding the destination
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 82 (2) 961 9402; fax: 82 (2) 3295 0719. E-mail addresses: jechoi@khu.ac.kr (J.G. Choi), t-tamara@hanmail.net (T. Tkachenko), sil@calumet.purdue.edu (S. Sil). 0261-5177/$ see front matter 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2009.12.002

selection process of tourists. Prior to embarking on a trip, tourists tend to develop an image and a set of expectations about the intended destination. Often, these are guided by a previous travel experience, word-of-mouth, press reports, and common beliefs (Chon, 1991; Crompton, 1977; Hunt, 1975). More recently, Tasci Asli, Gartner, and Tamer Cavusgil (2007) observe that the image of a destination can also be inuenced by promotional information from that destination. But more importantly, Ibrahim and Gill (2005) nd a positive correlation between destination image and customers satisfaction after experiencing tourism products and services. In Crompton (1977), destination choice is conceptualized as having two phases. The rst is a generic phase which addresses the fundamental issue of whether or not to travel at all. The second is deciding on a destination. Visit intention is an important outcome variable because it has been shown to be substantially correlated with travel behavior (Noh, 2007). Because tourists often choose the destination with the most favorable image, inuencing their perception is crucial. One way to do this is by word-of-mouth, which Lee (1997) and Kim and Morrison (2005) have shown to be effective. Most studies on Korean destination image focus on the effectiveness of the so-called Korean Wave, which refers to the growing popularity of South Korean popular culture. These studies nd that tourists satisfaction has increased as a result (Chen, 2005; Kim, 2007; Suh & Suh, 2004). Other studies focus on how the hosting of major world events in Korea has inuenced the image of inbound tourists (Kim & Morrison, 2005; Lee, Lee, & Lee, 2005). They nd that visitors, especially those from East Asia and the US, have a positive view of Korea afterward. In all of this, no studies have sought to investigate the impressions of Russian tourists,

194

J.G. Choi et al. / Tourism Management 32 (2011) 193194 Table 2 Regression analysis of overall destination image and loyalty to Korea. Model Overall image R2 0.102 Overall image R2 0.198 (Constant) Intention to visit Korea in future (N 280) (Constant) Intention to recommend Korea (N 131) Coefcient 1.254 0.515 0.896 0.584 t 3.564 5.662* 2.128 5.673*

given the rapidly growing economic presence of Russia in both Asia and Europe. To ll this gap, this study rst examines whether differences exist in the perception of Korea as a tourist destination between Russian visitors and non-visitors. It also seeks to determine whether destination image has a positive impact on Russian tourists loyalty to Korea. 3. Data and methodology In this study, the survey method was used. The nal sample consisted of 280 individuals of which 131 are visitors. Data were collected over a four-week period between October and November 2008. Respondents were asked to answer questions using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Answers to open-ended questions were analyzed to identify common responses. A regression analysis was also performed to examine whether the loyalty level differed depending on overall image. 4. Results Survey results show that majority of the respondents are university graduates with average monthly income of about US$1000 (a breakdown of the demographic prole of respondents is available upon request). Word-of-mouth was found to be the most used source of information about Korea, implying that Russia is not effectively covered by the promotional activities of KNTO. Results in Table 1 show that visitors tend to be more active in searching out information about Korea. Low mean scores for nonvisitors could mean a lack of interest in Korea. But it could also mean that Korean destination marketers have an opportunity to invigorate this segment. Responses to image attributes show that 18 of the 22 statements have mean scores of 3 or higher on a scale of 15, suggesting that most Russians have a positive destination image of Korea. Image attributes consist of statements such as offers outstanding scenic beauty and offers many historical and cultural attractions. Cognitive assessments of perceptions show that statements related to scenic beauty are ranked highest by both groups. Positive responses were also noted for variety of restaurants, quality accommodations, and transportation services. All of this may be interpreted to mean that Russians in general have a positive view of the quality of Koreas hospitality infrastructure. Tourist loyalty is captured by asking all respondents about their intention to visit Korea as well as recommend Korea to others. Regression results in Table 2 show a statistically signicant relationship between image and intention to visit Korea as well as well as intention to recommend Korea to others. The correlation coefcient between destination image and loyalty to Korea is 0.32 for Russians intending to visit Korea and 0.45 for those

*Signicant at the 0.01 level.

intending to recommend Korea to others. Both values are statistically signicant. Taken together, these results suggest that Russians with a positive view of Korea are more likely to recommend it to others as well as embark on a visit to Korea themselves.

5. Conclusion This study used surveyed responses, to nd out how Russians view Korea as a tourist destination. It is an attempt to introduce a new inbound tourist market for Korea since until now, not much effort has been made to encourage tourism from Russia. Results of the study show that Russians in general appear to have a positive image of Korea, although many view it to be an expensive destination. Therefore, in order to minimize travel cost for potential Russian tourists, Korean destination marketers may nd it helpful to target geographic regions in Russia closer to Korea as well as those in upper income groups. Many Russians believe that Korea is lacking in historical and cultural attractions. This suggests emphasis on the historical and cultural benets of visiting Korea. In all, the study reveals an opportunity for Korea to build on the gains of its tourism efforts by targeting a new and potentially lucrative inbound market from Russia.

References
Chen, Y. B. (2005). A study on the impact of Korean Wave on Koreas tourism image. The Journal of Tourism Policy, 12(1), 6378. Chon, Olsen (1991). Tourism destination image modication process, marketing implications. Tourism Management, 12(1), 6872. Crompton, J. L. (1977). A systems model of the tourists destination selection decision process with particular reference to the role of image and perceived constraints. College Station: Texas A & M University. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Hunt, J. D. (1975). Image as a factor in tourism development. Journal of Travel Research, 13, 17. Ibrahim, E. E., & Gill, J. (2005). A positioning strategy for a tourist destination, based on analysis of customers perceptions and satisfactions. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 23(2), 172188. Kim, S. S., & Morrison, A. M. (2005). Change of images of South Korea among foreign tourists after the 2002 FIFA world cup. Tourism Management, 26, 233247. Kim, Y. H. (2007). The relations among Hanryu attitudes, tourism destination image, satisfaction of Chinese in visit to Korea. Convention Research, 7(1), 143159. Lee, T. H. (1997). A development of Korea destination image measurement scale. Korean Journal of Tourism Research, 20(2), 8095. Lee, Choong-Ki, Lee, Yong-Ki, & Lee, BongKoo (2005). Koreas destination image formed by the 2002 world cup. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(4), 839858. Noh, J. H. (2007). Factors inuencing Americans intentions to vacation in South Korea. Korean Journal of Tourism Research, 22(3), 163182. Suh, Y. K., & Suh, Y. G. (2004). The effects of Korean fever in inuencing the image of Korea as a prime destination, and the tourist decision making process. The International Journal of Tourism Sciences, 28(3), 4764. Tasci Asli, D. A., Gartner, William C., & Tamer Cavusgil, S. (2007). Conceptualization and operationalization of destination image. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 31, 194223.

Table 1 Mean comparison of sources of information. Category TV/radio Word-of-mouth Books/movies Internet Cultural experiences Newspapers/magazines Professional advice Mean for non-visitors 2.85 2.85 2.21 2.66 1.64 2.29 1.42 Mean for visitors 2.73 3.63 2.24 3.44 2.06 2.71 2.07 Mean difference 0.119 0.780 0.028 0.778 0.417 0.421 0.646 t-value 1.164 5.730* 0.212 5.930* 3.484* 3.811* 6.283*

*Signicant at the 0.01 level.