Same, Same but Different: Perceptions of South Pacific Destinations Among Australian Travelers

The South Pacific has a long history of being portrayed as a tropical paradise. Similar imagery is depicted for different destinations in the region, creating one homogeneous place. The issue for destination marketing organizations is how to attract tourists to their particular destination. This study surveys Australian travelers' awareness, visitation history, and perceptions of destination image for a range of South Pacific destinations. The study examines the extent to which Australians perceive these South Pacific destinations as similar or different to each other on a range of attributes. The findings reveal there are many common features of the destinations; hence, there is a large degree of substitutability between destinations.