Central Visayas Tourism Destination Attractiveness and Tourist Experience Input to Destination Image: Basis for a Competitive Destination Development Framework

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the influence of destination attractiveness, tourist experience, and image of Central Visayas as a tourist destination to propose a competitive destination development framework. The researcher determined the attractiveness factors of the destination and tourist experiences and assessed the destination's image. It tested the significant difference when grouped according to the tourist profile and tested the significant relationship among the given variables. The researcher used a descriptive-correlation design. A total of 396 tourists who visited Central Visayas participated in the study and answered the instrument that was adapted from four different studies. The tourist profile was presented by frequency and percentage. The destination's attractiveness, tourist experience, and destination image were assessed using weighted mean. Mann Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis Test were used to test the significant differences, while the Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to test the relationship of the different variables. The study concluded that most respondents were leisure travelers who traveled with family. They have traveled to Central Visayas more than three times and stayed for 2-3 nights. Central Visayas holds a strong position as a desirable tourist destination with an overall favorable perception of its attractiveness, tourist experience, and image. Scenery emerged as the most significant factor in attractiveness, aesthetics for the tourist experience, and the conative dimension for destination image. The study highlights the link between destination attractiveness and tourist experience to destination image. With all these findings, the proposed development plan aims to improve the tourism sector in Central Visayas.