Ferry Connection as an Attribute of Twin-Capital's Brand Image
Niemi, Aleksi (2012)
Lataukset:
HAAGA-HELIA ammattikorkeakoulu
2012
Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 1.0 Suomi
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2012121018931
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2012121018931
Tiivistelmä
Destination collaboration has emerged as an answer to increasingly challenging competition within tourism industry. The benefits of the approach include i.e. stability of growth, sustainability and innovation. The purpose of this thesis is to explore whether transport connection can assist in establishing such collaboration through common brand image.
The initial idea to study the topic originated from Tourism in Twin-Capital project currently near completion and seeking further funding. The project perceives Helsinki and Tallinn as two destinations that could offer visitors an extended tourism experience through cooperative competition. The aim of the project is to facilitate tourism collaboration between the cities through education, research and product development.
The theoretical part of the thesis studies destination image as a complex multilayered entity as perceived by individual tourists. The concept has been studied extensively, yet an exact definition is challenging due to multiple theories approaching the subject and its constituents from different angles. The empirical analysis, in turn, examines whether ferries running between Helsinki and Tallinn support the appeal of visiting both destinations and whether differences between various tourist types exist.
The results reveal strong correlation between favourable perception of travelling by ferry and tourists’ willingness to visit Tallinn as part of their journey to Helsinki. This, in turn, depends on evaluation of vessels’ individual service and quality elements as well as respondents’ nationality, income, personality traits, travel experience and family structure. The results also reveal that not every service and quality component impact overall perception equally but, in certain cases, may become irrelevant.
The research confirms previous studies regarding the role of transportation in relation to destination characteristics implying that ferry connection indeed affects brand image in Twin-Capital context as well. Since tourists perceive service and quality elements aboard ferries differently, it has an impact on possible development of new marketing strategies. Therefore, local DMOs need to acknowledge the importance of transportation as a whole and take more active role in its development in the future.
The initial idea to study the topic originated from Tourism in Twin-Capital project currently near completion and seeking further funding. The project perceives Helsinki and Tallinn as two destinations that could offer visitors an extended tourism experience through cooperative competition. The aim of the project is to facilitate tourism collaboration between the cities through education, research and product development.
The theoretical part of the thesis studies destination image as a complex multilayered entity as perceived by individual tourists. The concept has been studied extensively, yet an exact definition is challenging due to multiple theories approaching the subject and its constituents from different angles. The empirical analysis, in turn, examines whether ferries running between Helsinki and Tallinn support the appeal of visiting both destinations and whether differences between various tourist types exist.
The results reveal strong correlation between favourable perception of travelling by ferry and tourists’ willingness to visit Tallinn as part of their journey to Helsinki. This, in turn, depends on evaluation of vessels’ individual service and quality elements as well as respondents’ nationality, income, personality traits, travel experience and family structure. The results also reveal that not every service and quality component impact overall perception equally but, in certain cases, may become irrelevant.
The research confirms previous studies regarding the role of transportation in relation to destination characteristics implying that ferry connection indeed affects brand image in Twin-Capital context as well. Since tourists perceive service and quality elements aboard ferries differently, it has an impact on possible development of new marketing strategies. Therefore, local DMOs need to acknowledge the importance of transportation as a whole and take more active role in its development in the future.