The new role of tourists in destination image formation

摘要

The birth of Web 2.0 tools has created a new paradigm for word-of-mouth communication. Bearing in mind the relevance of tourists as agents in destination image-formation processes, this research discusses the new role they play in this paradigm, and how it affects and modifies the seminal typology of image-formation agents originally proposed by Gartner. The results focus on the effects of Web 2.0 tools on the credibility, market penetration and costs for the destination of tourists' actions as image-formation agents. Implications for destination marketing organisations are also considered and discussed.