Understanding Formation and Impact of Tourism Affinity on Destination Perceptions Using Construal Level Theory and the Medusa Effect

ABSTRACT This study investigates the formation and impact of tourist affinity on destination perceptions, employing construal level theory (CLT) and the Medusa effect (ME), a psychological concept in visual communication. Focusing on Japanese affinity towards Taiwan and the United States, the research explores how familiarity and perceived closeness shape affinity and influence tourists' intention to visit. Studies 1–2 reveal the intricate interplay between destination familiarity, perceived closeness, and affinity, as well as their perceptual influence on intention to visit. After careful selection and creation processes of the experimental stimuli by local people and experts, Studies 3–4 leverage the ME to show that tourists with higher affinity respond more favourably to single images than nested representations. This research contributes to tourism literature by linking CLT and ME, demonstrating how visual communication strategies can be tailored to different levels of tourist affinity to optimise their perceptual impact, providing actionable insights for Destination Marketing Organizations to target tourists effectively.