Destination Reputation Management: The Divergent Role of Tourists’ Word of Mouth in Urban China

Abstract

This study reveals the influence of word of mouth on destination reputation from the perspective of tourists’ reputation judgment and explores the differentiating effect of judgment dimensions on the degree of consistency between word of mouth and reputation based on multinomial logistic regression analysis, aiming to advance the theoretical exploration of the complex relationship between word of mouth and reputation. This study finds that (1) tourists weigh word-of-mouth information that is identical or different from their views to make reputation judgments, and destination reputation is a systematic emergent outcome of word-of-mouth information that is recursively weighed and judged by tourists in the process of dissemination. (2) Tourists judge the reputation of a destination based on different dimensions, including scenic spots, local food, history and culture, natural environment, social atmosphere, activities and events, and facilities and services. (3) Tourists’ reputation judgment dimensions have a differentiating effect on the influence of word of mouth on destination reputation; that is, there are interpersonal differences in the influence of word of mouth information on destination reputation by tourists based on different dimensions. This paper provides a new perspective and approach to the study of the relationship between word of mouth and destination reputation, which can contribute to destination reputation management and marketing efforts.