Tourist destination image

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             The Cultural Aspect of Tourism Destination Image.
             Turning to the literature concerning tourism destination images it appears that the way in which the concept in general is understood does not, to any significant degree, involve the culturally determined perceptions which exist on the demand side independently of the communication aspect. The image formed by potential tourists can be conceptualised as a three-split structure involving impressions, attitudes and values. .
             Impressions are based on actual actions and events in a given culture which are transient and consequently over time may be forgotten by the image holder. Examples of these are: nature or man induced catastrophes, political actions and cultural events (all of a non-permanent nature). Impressions have a factual and profane nature (they do neither represent a reflected frame of mind nor an emotional position on the other). Impressions may, however, turn into more permanent, reflected and deeply felt attitudes towards a place, if a given event occurs repeatedly or if the event agrees or disagrees with the norms and values of the image holder. Attitudes may contain both an affective and a cognitive side, but because a person is capable of reflecting on his attitudes, the cognitive processes play a major role in attitude formation. Values, on the other hand, primarily have an affective basis as they are predominantly unconsciously held and not subject to reflections. Values represent "the way things are" - a taken-for-grantedness in relation to the other - and thereby gain a kind of sacredness.
             To illustrate this three-split structure with refrence to a specific destination, I will use Denmark to illusrate it. This will use a piece of qualitative image research carried out in 1997 on the English market in relation to Denmark.
             Three key components constitutes the English image of Denmark: .
             1) The idea of the cold, expensive and distant Scandinavia, which among middle aged respondents is extended to include a rational, well-organised, egalitarian mentality; .