Tourist destination image: A case study of Benidorm, Spain

This paper explores the destination image of Benidorm, Spain, as perceived by UK-based travel intermediaries and British tourists. Using a qualitative approach based on in-depth interviews and content analysis, the paper analyses the perceptions of the destination held by British travel intermediaries and the destination images portrayed in their marketing material. Moreover, the paper explores the opinions held by British tourists who have visited the destination and posted their reviews and opinions online on TripAdvisor. Following Echtner y Ritchie (1993) the paper analyses the different components of Benidorm’s tourist image as perceived by both UK-based travel intermediaries and British tourists.