“To feel a place of heaven”: examining the role of sensory reference cues and capacity for imagination in destination marketing

Emerging research in travel and tourism states that individuals can feel emotional connection towards a place or destination. This destination emotion is influenced by sensory reference cues appearing in destination advertisements. This research has empirically tested the influence of sensory reference cues on destination emotion and the extent to which that influence is moderated by an individual’s capacity for imagination. The desirable marketing outcomes of destination emotion, namely spreading positive word-of-mouth and destination emotion have also been investigated. The study findings show that visual, haptic, and olfactory reference cues significantly influence destination emotion, and an individual’s capacity for imagination moderates the influence. Destination emotion leads to repeat visit intention and word-of-mouth recommendation. The study results form the basis for a discussion of theoretical and managerial implications of the empirical model.