A Revised importance-performance analysis for assessing image: The case of cultural tourism in Britain

Destination image is critical to the success of any destination, particularly because of how it affects the level of satisfaction with the tourist experience. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and its revision were selected for destination positioning analysis in this study. The first aim of this article is to extend the traditional IPA approach and provided an option for destination positioning analysis. The measurement of image related to cultural tourism has received little attention in the tourism literature. Consequently, in this exploratory research, the first step is to conceptualize cultural tourism and determine the main attributes involved in its image measurement. Then, the scale developed was tested in an empirical manner. A questionnaire was used to examine the importance of 19 destination attributes for Taiwanese tourists who visited Britain's cultural tourism attractions and to determine how they rated Britain's performance with respect to these attributes postvisitation. This information was subsequently incorporated into the traditional and revised IPA grids. Then implications for destination positioning were provided by classifying the image attributes into factors so that the British destination management organizations can make better decisions about how to improve the perceived image. The result confirms the importance of tangible and Britain-specific cultural assets, such as authentic sights, historic architecture, museums and galleries, literary and artistic sites, as well as British customs and way of life. They can be pull factors for tourists looking to do something quintessentially British. However, adequate resources have to be allocated to improve the welcome, gastronomy, as well as the expense of visiting Britain, not only because they are the major weaknesses but also because tourists regard them as prerequisites. Moreover, attributes such as festivals/events and lively atmosphere can delight the tourists and strongly enhance overall satisfaction.