Destination Image and Events: A Structural Model for the Algarve Case

Abstract

Algarve is Portugal's top tourism destination. In looking to develop the traditional sun and beach tourism, the Portuguese government launched the Allgarve program in 2007 with the aim of positioning the region as a premier tourism destination, promoting the cultural industry as a modern and competitive component of the regional economy. Using partial least squares modelling (PLS), the study explores the relationship between the image projected by Allgarve and the image of Algarve as a tourism destination. Results show that the program has had a positive and reasonably strong influence on the destination image. In terms of affective elements, findings show that these were not easily perceived by tourists, as anticipated by the Allgarve program. An important outcome of this study is to contribute towards better management of future editions of the Allgarve program.