Evoking Ireland - Modeling tourist propensity

This paper offers a choice model pertinent to familiar destinations. In par ticular, it demonstrates the importance of familiarity as an explanator of imagery and evoked opportunities, and thus as a direct and indirect determi nant of visiting propensity. Imagery is modeled by three inter-dependent di mensions: informality of construction, divisibility of awareness and intens ity of association, and the content of imagery as contextualized within the repositioning strategy of a destination for new tourism markets. Ireland i s the destination used, and the model and repositioning appraisal is develo ped in the market for cultural tourism. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.