Reject or select: Mapping destination choice

• Set theory is used in a quantitative survey to map destination choice.
• An index to measure tourists’ familiarity towards a destination is developed.
• Choice structures are analysed in regard to alternative types of destinations.
• A tourist typology is developed according to destination choice set structure.

The purpose of this study is to empirically explore tourists’ destination choice processes. Destination choices are investigated using a combination of data on destinations and on tourists’ individual destination choices. Data were collected in Munich/Germany in 2013 using personal interviews; 622 interviews were completed. This approach allows detecting reasons for the rejection or selection of certain types of destinations during the destination choice process. Results show that tourists often start the destination choice process with various combinations of destination types but act similarly when choosing the final destination. The investigation of tourist and destination characteristics results in a tourist typology that varies in regard to similarity and type of alternative destinations at different stages of the destination choice process.