The measurement & conceptualization of destination personality

•Assesses previous destination personality (DP) studies•Structures the review around the meaning and conceptualization of the DP construct•Provides a summary of research opportunities for tourism researchers•Emphasizes the role of destination personality in destination branding

Although brand personality has long been postulated in the marketing literature to have a significant effect on the consumer purchase process, the use of a personality construct in the tourism field to understand the tourist's preference and intentions is relatively new. The purpose of this study is to examine critically the concept of destination personality (DP). To explore the measurement and conceptualization techniques of destination personality DP, an extended review of destination personality studies has been summarized. In the process, the strengths and weaknesses of procedures used to define and measure destination personality are assessed. Consequently, suggestions for improving the manner in which destination personality is conceptualized and measured are proposed. These suggestions should be helpful to destination marketers building successful branding and positioning strategies for destinations. Arguably, this study is the first attempt to define the meaning and conceptualization of destination personality based on an extensive literature review.