Combining Primary Destination Image with Acquired Experience for Effective Marketing in Tourism and Tour Operating

Nowadays, Mediterranean destinations face intense competition. Consequently, the enhancement of their image is imperative. This paper concentrates on the primary aspect of the destination image (perceived after the visit,) as a basis for evaluating the acquired experience and as a tool which can indicate improvements that would result in a positive future assessment and enhancement of the image. The paper uses as a case study Corfu island, a mature Mediterranean destination. The study implements descriptive statistics, factor analysis and logistic regression. The findings revealed the impact of several factors, in measurable terms, on the improvement of the overall acquired experience and destination image. Mostly though, revealed the way to convert a moderate "good" experience to an enthusiastic "very good". It suggests management priorities and targets for product differentiation, competitive advantage and supply improvements and the increase of product loyalty for both the tourism marketing authorities and the tourism entrepreneurs. The whole approach has not been applied to these types of destinations, being in that sense innovative.