Analysis of Destination Image Formation among Foreign Travel Intermediaries : The Case of Terrorism Events in Kenya

Abstract: Tourism is a social phenomenon that relies on the positive destination images. Destination images are mental representations held by individuals of places and defer depending on the information received or actual visits by individuals. Events such as terrorism, war, political instability and natural disasters have negative impacts on destinations. They contribute to formation of negative destination images among potential visitors and tourist stakeholders. Interpretations of events by individuals depend on several factors such as the socio-demographic characteristics, cultural and historical backgrounds. In this study, the formation of destination images among the foreign tour operators and the travel agents after exposure to terrorism events in Kenya was explored. The main objective of this study was to find out how the foreign travel agents interpreted the images of destinations after exposure to terror attacks by studying the case of Kenya. A qualitative approach was utilised to find out how the tour operators and the travel agents interpreted the destination originated information agents, information from the media and guided by their socio-demographic characteristics formed the overall image of Kenya and how they reacted towards the new images. Semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires were utilised for data collection. Four themes emerged, the initial image of Kenya, the cognitive/perceptual and the affectual attributes, the overall images and finally the reactions of the tour operators after formation of the new images.