Impact of tourist destination image on intention to switch destination

Most of the tourist destinations are facing tourist loyalty and expanding market share. Research on relationship between destination images and intention to switch the tourist destination has not been given sufficient attention, especially the intermediary role of satisfaction and word of mouth. This is a challenging problem for tourism researchers and managers. This study employs primary data from a survey of 365 tourist’s within three days in the Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling employed for data analysis and interpretation. The findings of the study revealed that visitor satisfaction and word of mouth are as intermediary factors of the relationship between destination image and intention to switch the tourist destination. Components of the destination image include (i) Cognitive image; (ii) Affective images; and (iii) Tangible images.