Understanding the Decision of the Tourist when Choosing an Accommodation: the Impact of the Image

Abstract

Accommodation image is a topic that has been scarcely analyzed in the literature and needs further development. Moreover, no research, so far, has been realized on the condominium offer, even when this is the primary offer in some tourist destinations and has a critical role on the overall perception of the destination. This research aims for a deeper understanding of the accommodation image, going through a deep literature review to identify the theoretical dimensions that form the condominium image, obtaining the main dimensions of the cognitive image that characterize this product, as well as analyzing the influence of those different dimensions on the overall image of the accommodation. Interestingly, empirical results of this study suggest that the condominium image is formed by 7 factors: “Secondary services”, “Food and Beverage”, “Staff and cleanliness”, “Kitchen”, “Outside areas”, “Primary services” and “Price”. Moreover, “Staff and cleanliness”, “Kitchen”, “Outside areas” and “Primary services” are the dimensions that have a greater influence on the overall accommodation image. Academic and practitioners implications are stressed.