Destination marketing is back in business, as countries, regions and cities around the world compete to attract the tourists who stayed away as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting the experiences and benefits associated with a specific location, destination marketing uses emotional cues to whet visitors\u2019 appetites and inspire them to visit. Whether it advertises outdoor adventure, cultural stimulation, sensory indulgence, or spiritual awakening, how a destination brands itself is vitally important. To study the nuances of such branding requires a consideration of the explicit and subliminal messages conveyed in destination marketing materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the broader term \u2018destination personality\u2019 has a longer history in tourism marketing literature, destination gender is more specific and is only just beginning to attract attention. Led by Dr. Tingting Zhang, Assistant Professor at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, new research into the subject has been published in the prestigious journal Tourism Management. Gender identity is not only important for how people think about themselves, it also affects how they relate to other people, places and objects, which includes their purchasing decisions. As Zhang explains, gender is \u2018one of the most important self-defined labels individuals use to consider their self-concept and process the world around them.\u2019 Zhang and her co-authors argue that tourist destinations can tap into this psychology by offering opportunities for people to satisfy their \u2018emotional and identity needs\u2019. Their new study defines destination gender as a concept in tourism and hospitality, and both establishes and validates a \u2018Destination Gender Scale\u2019 (DGS) to measure it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DESTINATION GENDER AND MARKETING<\/strong> Zhang and her collaborators define destination gender as \u2018a set of human masculine and feminine traits through which consumers envisage a destination as a man or woman.\u2019 According to the literature review which informed the research, Las Vegas, for example, could be thought of as an essentially masculine destination identified with \u2018freedom and lack of inhibition.\u2019 On the other hand, Paris, known for its \u2018elegance and romance\u2019, could be thought of as feminine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gendered consumption and brand masculinity\/femininity is well-known in academic literature. For example, marketers may discuss whether logos are round and feminine in shape, or angular and masculine. However, the Rosen study is one of the first to both consider tourists\u2019 perceptions of destinations\u2019 gender traits and identify a scale to measure them. Such gender traits can help destination marketers demonstrate a location\u2019s \u2018symbolic and hedonic value\u2019\u2014the pleasure and delight that consumers associate with it, and how it can satisfy a consumer\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RESEARCH METHOD<\/strong> A set of gender-related terms, or \u2018items\u2019, was first gathered from the extant literature and from interviews the research team conducted. In the primary interviews, participants were asked to talk about their concept of gender with regards to photographs of tourist destinations. The resultant set included items such as \u2018daring\u2019, \u2018rough\u2019, \u2018sturdy\u2019 and \u2018adventurous\u2019 associated with masculinity, and \u2018sensitive\u2019, \u2018sentimental\u2019, \u2018passionate\u2019, and \u2018loving\u2019 associated with femininity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The set of items was pretested with the help of an expert panel. The resultant items were finessed further using Exploratory Factor Analysis, and then tested for reliability, validity and latent structure using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Structural Equation Modelling was used to assess the scale\u2019s nomological validity (the relationships between variables) before being validated in a Western cultural context in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RESEARCH RESULTS<\/strong> Twelve masculine attributes were sub-divided under four subscales of \u2018dominance\u2019, \u2018vigor\u2019, \u2018courage\u2019 and \u2018competence\u2019. For example, \u2018dominance\u2019 comprised \u2018dominant\u2019, \u2018charismatic\u2019, \u2018decisive\u2019 and \u2018grand\u2019; contrastingly, \u2018courage\u2019 comprised \u2018daring\u2019, \u2018adventurous\u2019 and \u2018fierce\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thirteen feminine attributes were sub-divided under four subscales of \u2018grace\u2019, \u2018softness\u2019, \u2018gorgeousness\u2019 and \u2018kind-heartedness\u2019. For example, \u2018grace\u2019 comprised \u2018relaxing\u2019, \u2018idyllic\u2019 and \u2018tender\u2019, and \u2018gorgeousness\u2019 comprised \u2018luscious\u2019, \u2018charming\u2019 and \u2018romantic\u2019. In addition, the results confirmed that destination gender is significantly related to an individual\u2019s perceived and actual gender identity, which also affects their inclination to revisit destinations. As the research team explains, \u2018The greater the degree to which individuals connect the self (or an ideal self) to a destination\u2019s gender attributes, the more likely they are to visit that destination\u2019\u2014regardless of individuals\u2019 biological sex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OUTCOMES<\/strong> Multiple, distinct items were included in the sub-dimensions, enabling the scale to measure far more than a destination\u2019s gender. As Zhang explains: \u2018According to the results, the four dimensions of destination femininity either refer to outward aesthetics such as \u2018grace\u2019 and \u2018gorgeousness\u2019, or inner qualities often associated with women, including \u2018softness\u2019 and \u2018kind-heartedness.\u2019 Thus, a sense of external and internal constitutes the essence of destinations\u2019 femininity.\u2019 The scale\u2019s level of sophistication distinguishes it from other constructs used to measure brand gender and personality. For example, the Rosen study takes cultural issues into account and corroborates gender as a \u2018socially constructed concept\u2019, finding that \u2018even destination gender can be conditioned by society\u2019s views on gender images ascribed to humans\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The scale also provides evidence that destination gender \u2018can positively affect individuals\u2019 actual \/ ideal gender identity congruity and revisit intentions\u2019. As Zhang explains, \u2018The greater the degree to which individuals connect the self (or an ideal self) to a destination\u2019s gender attributes, the more likely they are to visit that destination.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly, the research shows that individuals perceive greater degrees of actual and ideal gender identity congruity for destinations with more dominant feminine traits than those with more dominant masculine traits. According to the report: \u2018This finding suggests that consistent with how women are more likely to self-assess their actual appearance than men, consumers are more likely to evaluate a destination\u2019s outward feminine (vs masculine) attractiveness and cues.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n IMPLICATIONS<\/strong> Destination marketers can also use the scale\u2019s gender trait items in text, photographs or other imagery to help position their destination\u2019s brand. For example, if a marketer wants to promote a destination as having a masculine identity, the scale\u2019s items of \u2018dominance\u2019, \u2018vigor\u2019, \u2018courage\u2019 and \u2018competence\u2019 could help them plan their branding campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, the study suggests that, because of the link between destinations\u2019 and individuals\u2019 own gender identities, destination marketers should make use of advanced technologies to profile customers and develop branding and communication strategies that align with their \u2018self-concepts.\u2019 With this in mind, it is interesting to note that feminine traits appear to influence travelers\u2019 actual \/ ideal gender identity more strongly than masculine traits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The study acknowledges that more research is needed, not least because of the complexity of gender issues. For example, it suggests: \u2018Research could evaluate complicated destination gender types (ie transgender or third gender) and develop essential elements to portray a destination\u2019s gender image through more nuanced categories.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n IMPORTANCE OF GENDER CUES<\/strong> As the report concludes: \u2018This study not only offers a new angle of understanding the multi-dimensional structure of destination gender and its cross-cultural differences, but also a customised marketing tool for destination managers to evaluate the perceived destination gender image, and hence, shed new light on destination branding strategies via satisfying consumers\u2019 gender identity.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Destination marketing is back in business, as countries, regions and cities around the world compete to attract the tourists who stayed away as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting the experiences and benefits associated with a specific location, destination marketing uses emotional cues to whet visitors\u2019 appetites and inspire them to visit. 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According to gender role theory, gender is socially and culturally constructed. As the study explains: \u2018Typical masculine traits include being dominant, adventurous, ambitious and forceful, while feminine traits mainly revolve around being sensitive, loving and kind.\u2019 The study notes that various types of masculinity and femininity can co-exist, and an individual\u2019s gender identity reflects their sense of being male or female, rather than their biologically assigned sex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Destination Gender Scale (DGS) was developed in six stages. To ensure that it operates cross-culturally, the work was begun in China and then validated in the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study\u2019s rigorous research and testing identified a set of 25 cross-culturally valid items (second-order constructs) to describe destinations in terms of male or female gender attributes (first-order constructs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zhang\u2019s research consolidates destination gender into a single measurement, the Destination Gender Scale (DGS), comprising the sub-dimensions of femininity and masculinity that tourists associate with vacation locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Destination Gender Scale (DGS) is a valuable tool to help destinations use masculine and feminine traits to define their gender image. However, as Zhang and her collaborators point out, the gender dimensions are not mutually exclusive and \u2018both DGS subscales can be applied, allowing for fluidity in projecting a destination\u2019s gender image across gender-associated traits.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While destination gender is just one aspect of destination brand personality, there is growing evidence that gender cues are significant in nudging travel decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n