I Feel Good! Destination Attractiveness and Travelers’ Emotional Responses: An Empirical Study in Alpine Winter Destinations

In today’s growing tourism industry we need to understand what makes a destination more attractive and therefore more competitive. The aim of the present study is to define key factors of destination attractiveness that facilitate a holistic perception of Alpine winter destinations. We rely on theories of visual preference (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) and develop a destination perception model arguing that travelers prefer destination settings which are both high in sense-making and exploration resources, making them feel good and comfortable. Findings indicate that both sense-making resources (i.e., access and amenities) and exploration resources (i.e., attractions and activities, entertainment and local community) have an impact on travelers’ pleasure and subsequently on their loyalty and intention to return to a destination.